The Truth About the Marauders
by missclaire17
Summary: A tale of growing up in the age of the Marauders, discovering our identities in the midst of a war, and falling in love. Or more specifically, trying to get the object of your interest to fall in love with you. SB/OC & J/L
1. First Year

_First Year: September 1__st__, 1971_

_The Hogwarts Express_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"_Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" _

I tried in vain to stifle the laughter that was threatening to explode.

I couldn't help it; growing up with James meant that you had to have an appreciation for humor and this jib had certainly fit quite well.

The redhead's face was fraught with anger and her face was slowly beginning to match the deep color of her hair.

She stood up angrily, folding her arms as she did.

I recognized _that_.

That was the universal sign of an eleven year old girl that told you quite clearly that she wasn't in the mood for "immature" games.

"_Come on Severus, let's find another compartment,"_ she said to the greasy haired, hooked nosed, sallow skinned, crooked teeth, and unfortunate looking boy.

The redhead shot glares laden with eye daggers at James and his new pal; I watched her carefully as her eyes passed by me quickly.

Quickly enough for me to know that her anger hadn't been directed at me per say, since I hadn't spoken a word, but not quickly enough for me to miss the obvious accusation in her eyes.

The accusations that shouted at me for not controlling my cousin and his new friend better.

Ha! As if anyone could control James Potter…

As the redhead and the oddball boy left the compartment, James called after them,_ "See ya, Snivellus!"_

Watching the odd pair of friends disappear, I couldn't tell just _what_ sort of feelings I was having at the current moment.

I suppose I could say that I was happy that I hadn't necessarily earned myself an enemy; I didn't much fancy the idea of being at odds with someone when we hadn't even reached Hogwarts.

Yet at the same time, I couldn't help the feeling of resentment towards the redhead and the unfortunate looking boy called Severus.

Who had _Severus_ been thinking he was, anyways? Neither James nor his new pal had actually insulted him personally, but he starts throwing jibs at James for nothing.

And that redhead!

I hadn't _meant_ to be eavesdropping but it was impossible to live under the same roof as James Potter for the majority of your like without picking up _some _troublemaking skills.

From what I heard, though I was well aware I was making hasty judgments about people I did not know, it sounded like _Severus_ had persuaded the girl to do something wrong.

It also sounded like _Severus_ didn't give a rat's arse about the girl's sister, who was quite obviously a Muggle.

I didn't think she was in great position to be lecturing others about proper friendship behavior.

I let my mind drift as I vaguely paid attention to James and his friend's conversation. It was hopelessly boring and full of pleasantries that I didn't like to bother with.

"… probably get a Howler tomorrow morning at breakfast if I'm _not_ sorted into Slytherin," the boy said to James.

Gazing at him discreetly, I noticed that even for an eleven year old, he was blessed with aristocratic beauty and an elegant vestige that you'd be hard-pressed to find in any family other than a old pureblood family that was clearly the "nobility" of the wizarding world.

He had striking grey eyes that seemed to look like they pierced into your soul, along with the nicest head of hair I've ever seen on a boy.

It _looked_ silky, lustrous, and well taken care of, though significantly longer than James's hair.

The color of his hair was also pitch black, almost precisely the same shade of jet black as James's and my hair.

His robes were also clean and perfectly form fitting; it certainly didn't look like he had just strolled into Madam Malkin's and gotten them like anyone else.

_They_ looked custom tailored; precisely made to suit _his_ body and no one else.

Yes, he was definitely from one of those old, wealthy, pureblood families; though judging by his open derisiveness towards Slytherin, he must have been the odd child out.

"… might be related to Jennifer!"

At the sound of my name, I snapped out of my reverie, dragging my eyes away from James's new pal's face and towards James himself.

He didn't seem to have noticed me eyeing his new friend up and down. James said in a rather impatient tone, "I said that Sirius here might be distantly related to you!"

"How?" I blinked in confusion. I had no family other than James, and his parents.

James let out a small noise of impatience as he repeated for my benefit, "Sirius is a Black. Aunt Dorea was a Black, wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was but distantly related…" I murmured, not knowing why I wanted to tact that last bit on in the end and certainly not knowing why I didn't like the idea of being related to Sirius Black.

I felt his firm gaze on me, however, so I turned my eyes from James, who was lounging easily in his compartment seat next to me, to Sirius who indeed had been staring me down.

The only hint that he wasn't totally annoyed with me was the slightly amused smirk playing at his lips.

It was far too familiar, a smirk like that.

I had seen it on James _numerous_ times before.

"I vaguely remember a Dorea Black, though if you tell me who your mother was related to I'll be able to refresh my memory. Then I can tell you how you're related to me," Sirius said smoothly, his tone betraying his amusement.

James stared back at me expectantly too.

Scowling at him, I huffed. Honestly, what was it to him how we were related, anyways?

"Charis Black was her fourth cousin. James, you _know_ that Mum never kept in touch with her family; they were too far distantly related, and she never told me much either," I said, feeling miffed for some odd reason.

The second part of my statement, however, seemed to be lost as Sirius's eyes immediately lit up in recognition.

"Yeah! Charis Black! Her father was Arcturus the Second, and _his _nephew was Arcturus the Third, who happens to be my grandfather!" Sirius said excitedly.

I blinked at him flatly.

I didn't even want to try to comprehend _what_ on Earth that would make me to Sirius, but it seemed that he and James had already got it figured out.

James nodded, his face showing the same excitement as his friend, saying, "So your grandpa is Jennifer's mum's fifth cousin! Blimey, mate, you're related to everyone!"

He sounded so ecstatic, like he had just been told that he'd been given the newest model of the fastest broomstick for free or that Christmas had come early.

I just raised my eyebrows at my cousin and ask, "And _why_ is knowing how I'm related to Sirius important?"

"Oh it's not; all that is important is that it confirms the belief that all pureblood families are connected to each other in some way," Sirius waved his hand dismissively.

"Come again?"

"You must know what I'm talking about!" Sirius said with disbelief.

Seeing my blank face, he clarified, "Pureblood maniac families like mine have been pounding into my head the belief that I need to marry a pureblood, but think about it. How many of us are there, really? We all have to be interconnected _somehow_…"

I frowned. Huh… I had never thought of it that way.

Misreading my frown for confusion, Sirius rolled his eyes and said, "Look, Jen. Even all Muggles are interconnected somehow if you go way back. We all had to come from _somewhere_, right? It's just that we purebloods can trace our family history easier."

Several things about his statement shocked me, and I realized that, in the long run, it wouldn't ever be the first time that Sirius Black shocked me.

There was something about the way that he said something so entirely profound that surprised me. The fact that he had thought of stuff like this was odd, not the very least, for an eleven year old.

And of course that had nothing to do with the fact that he had already gave me a nickname to replace my nickname.

Let's just say that Jennifer isn't my real name.

I stopped commenting, however, long enough for James and Sirius to turn back into their own animated discussion, most likely about Quidditch or something of the sort that _boys_ loved to talk about.

_First Year: September 1__st__, 1971_

_The Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Sirius Black**

Fate, something I didn't believe in as an eleven year old (and not something that I _ever_ believed in, really), worked in funny ways.

Looking back, I believe it all started because of a _name_. Not just any name, though perhaps last name might work. But it was a _first_ name, or a _legal_ name.

Something so trivial that I wasn't meant to find out, yet something that basically triggered the events for the next seven years.

Fate also worked in weird ways, such as making me born with an inherent lack of self-control and an inherent skill to be reckless and sometimes stupid.

I shouldn't have said it, really. I shouldn't have went on about it, if I wanted to be a gentleman.

But despite everything that James had warned me about as I got into a boat with him, a skinny bloke named Benjy Fenwick, and a complete git who wouldn't stop verbally showing off named Bertram Aubrey, I had to poke fun at Jennifer.

First, I come to believe that she has a perfect normal name, albeit slightly boring, like Jennifer, making me silently wonder whether her parents and James's parents had planned for their names to both begin with the same letter.

Then, I find out that Jennifer is actually a cover-up for her _real_ name, something that James had accidentally let slip during our wonderful journey on the Hogwarts Express.

The three of us had shared a compartment the entire ride, we had only been interrupted once by some gits whose parents knew my parents, and we had unlimited food because of all the gold we had on us.

It had been _great_, and Jennifer's real name was just the icing on top.

I was laughing silently at the Gryffindor table, a decision by the Sorting Hat that had shocked the entire Hall into silence before the Gryffindors, and a few teachers, Professor Dumbledore most likely, broke out into unsure applause.

Andromeda, seventh year, had clapped loudly for me, but Narcissa looked furious.

Andromeda was still sending me beaming grins from the Slytherin table. No doubt it would be Narcissa who would spill the beans and make me suffer through a Howler tomorrow morning.

Or afternoon or dinner, if I'm somehow lucky. I was almost positive that Narcissa was secretly sending off a letter to my dear old mum right at this very moment.

She still looked livid and not even her idiot boyfriend, Lucius Malfoy, could calm her down.

I would have felt guilty about being Sorted into Gryffindor, but the only sort of regret that I could come up with was the scare for Regulus, and at the current moment, I didn't want to think about Regulus.

Though I was positively reveling in being Sorted into Gryffindor, I knew that my Sorting would be all sorts of trouble for Reg and there would be no way he would be Sorted into Gryffindor.

James was literally sprinting off of the stool after only having sat there for two seconds, but I couldn't be focused on even James's excitement that he had been chosen instantaneously for Gryffindor.

What _I_ was focused on was the roll call.

Just as expected, McGonagall called out in that strict no nonsense voice of hers, "Potter, Guinevere."

_Guinevere_.

In all honesty, it wasn't an ugly name; if I had to grudgingly admit so, it was a nice sounding name, even if it was a name that should have stayed in the 15th century.

But Jennifer's embarrassment was far more amusing than her actual name, which was why I had to take the mickey out of her.

Had she brushed it off easily like it had been no big deal, I probably wouldn't have pressed the matter and maybe I would have even considered giving her name a well-hidden compliment.

She hadn't though, brushed it off, and instead, took it in a way that I could only blameFate for because in the years to come, I would learn that Jennifer Potter was not one to feel embarrassed about anything.

Not even the incident including a fellow Housemate, a bloke, and a broom cupboard, and some intimate alone time.

My eyes never left Jennifer as she silently glared at me; no doubt a string of curses and several potential useful hexes had just ran through her mind as she hopped onto the stool, allowing McGonagall to place the Sorting Hat on her.

I, who had half expecting her to make some sort of gesture to the whole school that they were not to call her Guinevere, had been sincerely disappointed as she began her Sorting.

That wouldn't be the first time in a long time that I've been disappointed by Jennifer Potter, as my puny eleven year old self should have realized.

Jennifer's Sorting had taken far longer James' had.

It was taking even longer than _my_ own Sorting, and the Hat had temporarily been speechless that a Black could be fitting for a House other than Slytherin.

It spent at least a minute pondering that bloody thought.

Old sodding frayed patched git of a Hat.

Then, I began to worry; it was entirely silly of me to _worry_ yet so much so that it is the plausible thing to do.

Worry whether my new best mate's cousin was ever going to be Sorted and when the hell she's going to finally get Sorted into Gryffindor.

Because I spoke for James when I say that it would _not_ be pretty if Jennifer was Sorted anywhere else.

For the first time in many ages, I started to wish I paid this girl more attention. Maybe if James and I had paid her more attention, then I wouldn't need to be worried about what House she-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Thank Merlin and Godric," James exhaled loudly, finally loosening his grip on the edge of the table.

He must have looked and was a hundred times more anxious than me, judging by the complete lack of color in his face.

I had exhaled loudly too; I wish I could say that it was more out of relief than anything but if I was being honest to myself, there was another reason besides 'the James' reason why I wanted her to be Sorted into Gryffindor.

_First Year: September 1__st__, 1971_

_Gryffindor Tower: 1__st__ Year Girls Dormitory #1_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

By the time I finally retired up for bed, James was still going on and on about my Sorting.

Yes, so what if I seemed to be a dilemma to the Sorting Hat because I had too many qualities that would suit too many houses?

Honestly, the way that James was going on and on, a nearby passer would have thought Salazar Slytherin himself arose from the dead and told everyone that he was setting a basilisk loose in the castle.

"Good night James," I said wearily with a sigh as I started going up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

From behind me, James was being loud and being a complete bother but I ignored that all as I thought about my dorm and my dorm mates.

The silence that consumed me as I climbed up the stairs was gratifying and I almost felt hesitant in opening the door when I came to a stop at my destination.

_Gryffindor 1__st__ Year Girls: Dorm #1_

I smiled to myself, the edges of my mouth lifting themselves up unconsciously as I stared at the golden plague with pleasure.

Bravely and boldly, I pushed open the door with a wide grin.

"Hello, I'm your new roommate," I introduced brightly as I stepped into the room, smiling at the four other inhabitants.

Three of them smiled back brightly and introduced themselves while the fourth said her name politely but could barely spared me a smile.

I had expected it.

I was rooming with Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes, Mary Macdonald, and Lily Evans.

The only one in the entire room with whom I didn't have history with is Mary Macdonald; she, being a Muggleborn, had never attended those dreadful parties where I had been introduced to the McKinnons and the Meadowes, and she hadn't stormed out of my compartment because my cousin and his new best friend was at odds with her friend.

A greasy haired, creepy looking slime ball who had immediately been Sorted into Slytherin.

Mary and Marlene both had brown hair, though Mary's is light enough to be considered a caramel brown color whilst Marlene's was dark enough to almost be black. Mary was also petite as compared to Marlene's taller figure. On the other hand, Dorcas had blonde hair and light green eyes.

And of course there was Lily Evans, dark red hair and brilliant emerald green eyes, who currently looked as if she had a pickle with me.

Taking a break from my unpacking, I looked up from my nearly empty trunk and sighed. I turned my body to the left so that I was facing Lily and decided to put her out of her misery.

"So out with it Evans. What is it that you want with me? You've been staring at me nonstop for the last fifteen minutes," I told her in a no nonsense tone.

Having someone like James Potter for a cousin made you constantly well aware of your surroundings; this revelation was a surprise to Lily as shock fleeted on her face before resting into something that looked like resignation and acceptance.

"I don't want to make you my enemy just because your brother and his friend are completely immature toe rags who like to make fun of my friend," Lily said firmly, standing up and slowly walking over to me.

I could see Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary stop what they were doing from the corner of my eyes.

There was a part of me that recognized that Lily Evans didn't want to be my enemy, but there was a bigger part of me that felt irritated by the latter part of her sentence.

"You know, one, James is my cousin, not my brother; two, your _friend_ made the first personal insult to them on the train, and three, no I would not want to be your enemy but I don't appreciate you talking that way about James and Sirius," I told her firmly.

My deep blue eyes, which were a rarity with my hair color, must have flashed with anger because Lily glanced into them unsurely.

Safe with the knowledge that Lily wasn't going to jump down my throat, I relaxed. To make a point of this, I took a deep breath and leaned against one of the posters of my four poster bed.

I gazed steadily at Lily; I didn't honestly think she was horrible, and there was nothing wrong with being friends with her.

Being friends actually would have been _great_.

As silly as it had been, I almost expected her to say something like "No we cannot be friends" or something of the likes because of her Slytherin odd ball friend, but instead Lily just stayed silent.

I wasn't quite sure whether I found that relieving or insulting.

She didn't deem me important enough to her to receive an answer, but then again, I could spare myself from her answer, if such an answer were to be something negative.

It didn't matter, however, whether I had personally been insulted by a lack of answer or not.

My new social life at Hogwarts and my happiness with new friends at Hogwarts didn't depend on Lily Evans, but it seemed so remarkably self-righteous of Lily Evans to not deem me with an answer when she had been introducing herself to as many of our fellow house mates during dinner.

Like I said, Lily Evans' friendship didn't matter to me, but my respect for her did.

Quickly, I grabbed my toiletries from my trunk and glared at Lily Evans.

"You know, whether you extended that hand of friendship or not, I cannot find a more self-righteous person. Whether you become my friend or not is hardly the issue here. You can introduce yourself to everyone, all of our house mates at dinner, and act friendly but you cannot even attempt to act friendly to me? When I had done _nothing_ to your bloody friend, even if he deserved it? You can easily shout at my cousin and his friend for being rude, yet you're being remarkably rude yourself," I informed her coldly, my blue eyes probably flashing with anger.

Without another word, I quickly and quietly swept across the room and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

In solitude, I recognized that I may not have been fair; after all, we were only bloody eleven. I _was_ being overly dramatic.

But that other infuriating voice in me that wasn't spewing out common sense told me that it did matter, really.

It would matter because your friends are the people who determine the person you are, the person you want to become, and the person you wish to be.

With more and more people becoming sympathetic to the man called Voldemort who wishes to purge the entire wizarding world clean, yes, it was something that I cared about, the type of people that you want to be your friend and the type of person you want to become.

James and I had eavesdropped on enough adult conversations to know that Voldemort was a threat.

Even from the beginning, the War didn't leave us alone.

It crawled and creeped up to us in the most unexpected of ways, twisting the beginnings of a beautiful friendship between Lily Evans and I.

It was at the center of the disagreement and rift between the Gryffindors and Slytherins. For a long time, we had been told the sort of people that joined up with people like Voldemort, and we had firsthand experience of the pureblood mania, namely the Black Family.

How easy would it be to just pretend like this entire ordeal was as easy as just making friends? I could probably march out this room, apologize to Lily Evans, and maybe we could start over.

But whether Lily Evans knew or not the war that would inevitably threaten to take over _all_ of our lives, I couldn't do it among other reasons.

Since my parents died of dragon pox when I was young, I had been living with James and his parents. They were my _only_ family left.

I was not a fool; I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw so I knew what type of arrogant idiot James could be but he was _family_.

Sure, there were our extended relatives, but what did they matter, really? Which of them, except for one of my slightly distant cousins, cared for me as James and his parents had?

James was of my own blood. He was the one who _had_ been there through every one of my significant life event so far, and the one that I'd be willing to go to great lengths for.

Even if I could ignore the war, ignore the importance of making good friends, ignore the person that Lily Evans had already associated herself with, I couldn't ever ignore her attitude towards James, and even Sirius as he was probably going to be James's best mate for the next several years to come.

And that was why, as I finally exited the bathroom, I said a curt good night to everyone before climbing in my bed, not daring to make any eye contact with anyone in case someone unleashed the puppy dog eyes for me to want to make peace with Lily Evans because it was only the first bloody day of our first year at Hogwarts.

I dreaded to think what other sorts of trouble would follow us in our seven years at Hogwarts if _this _was what our first day had been like.

_First Year: October 4__th__, 1971_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

I couldn't say that I hadn't seen it coming; I _had_ seen it coming, which was why when the day came, I was already prepared.

There had been no way that James would have continued to be my best friend even throughout Hogwarts.

That wasn't to say that I loved him any less or that we were fighting, but it was the inevitable.

Let's face it, James Potter's cousin I may be but that had nothing when compared to Sirius Black, a boy who I believe is James Potter reincarnated, Remus Lupin who had the brains and secret mischievousness to shock all, and Peter Pettigrew, a boy who, although was first lumped together with the Marauders because there was no one else in the dorm, was brilliant in his own way.

And being Jennifer Potter's cousin wasn't going to make James my number one go-to candidate _that day_.

It was probably ridiculously anticlimactic to say _that day_ because it brings about the impositions that it was some major Earth-shattering event.

But instead, it was merely recognition on both James's side and mine that although we would love each other unconditionally, we weren't the go to person for each other's problems any more.

"I really can't believe that this is an issue," I told him, furrowing my eyebrows confusedly.

Honestly, _why_ was this actually a problem?

On what sane planet would anyone ever want to get detention just because their best mate got detention as well?

Yet, somehow, that idiotic plan was running through James's mind.

I couldn't see why James had been completely horrified when he related to me the story of dropping Dungbombs in the Slytherin Common Room and McGonagall had only punished Sirius.

"Why _not_?! This is major, Jen! We need to land myself a detention before Friday night! There is no way that Sirius will walk into a detention without me," James said petulantly as the two of us exited the Great Hall after lunch on Tuesday.

"We?" I voiced incredulously, still amazed at just how James's brain could work.

We had our first practical exam coming up in Transfiguration and he was worried about how he can land himself in his first detention?!

I resisted the urge to laugh because even as I said it to myself in my head, I knew that that _was_ just the type of thing James would do.

James snorted, throwing his arms around me. He said, as the two of us walked to Charms, "Sure. We. You need to help me come up with something. Remus, the poor bloke, is ill. Apparently he doesn't have too good of an immune system. Pete's hopeless, and Sirius is useless because he's attempting to be a normal, non-trouble making student in order to appease Andromeda."

"Andromeda, like his cousin?" I clarified, with a frown. "Why on Earth would Sirius want to appease Andromeda?"

"He likes her, doesn't he?" James shrugged, like it explained everything. "She, their Uncle Alphard, and maybe his little brother Regulus are the only ones in his entire family that he'll be willing to toe the line for. His Uncle Alphard managed to talk his mum out of disowning him for getting Sorted into Gryffindor, to "give him a chance". Sirius would never turn his back on them."

I was completely baffled; I knew Andromeda in passing, and she waved hello to James and I while we were with Sirius.

I knew that she was dating Ted Tonks, a Muggleborn, in secret, James and Sirius having sworn me to secrecy. I knew that she was a brilliant Witch and very kind, even in just the one month I'd been at Hogwarts.

But I never thought that _Sirius_ would be willing to toe the line just because Andromeda had asked him to.

It seemed out of ordinary behavior for Sirius. He didn't toe any line, and certainly not if someone asked him to.

He and James saw rules as more of guidelines and suggestions rather than _rules_.

When I pointed this out to James, he frowned. "Take it this way; think of Andromeda as Sirius's own Alex. Except for imagine that our dear slightly distant cousin grew up with us. That's what Andromeda is. She's not afraid to tell Sirius the truth because she's not scared of him being scared. She's not going to coddle him just because he's only eleven, and… well, Sirius respects Andromeda as much as we respect Alex but more. And he loves Andromeda more than we love Alex, in that familial sense, of course."

Alexander Griffiths, our slightly distant cousin who was more than ten years older than the both of us, seemed to have more appreciation for our nerves than did James's parents.

In family dinners, we relied on Alex to tell us what Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William would not tell James and I.

No one liked the fact that Alex spoiled us whenever he saw us but fact remained that Alex was probably the only family member besides James, Aunt Elizabeth, and Uncle William that _truly_ cared for me.

"Right… so I suppose that all makes sense, somehow," I told him slowly. The two of us had long reached the Charms classroom by now so the two of us quickly went inside.

"Sit with me, Sirius, and Pete today. Remus is still at the Hospital Wing," James said, tugging at my hand to follow him.

Quickly, I waved in apology to Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary who had been saving me a seat. They thankfully took it graciously and just grinned at me with a wink as I sat down by the boys.

A little further away, Lily was sitting with Severus Snape, both of them looking displeased with James and I.

"So my fair lady, Guinevere, did you have some good suggestions for my friend James here as to how we can land him in detention?" Sirius asked conspiratorially.

We were practicing the Wand-Lighting Charm, _Lumos_, and one of my favorites. I could already see how it would be remarkably useful in the future.

I glared at Sirius as I clicked my teeth with annoyance. "How many times, Sirius, have I told you _not_ to call me that?

He was the only bloody one that called me Guinevere and frankly, it was getting on my bloody nerves.

Sirius was completely undeterred as he said, "Come on. You must have had some good ideas. You grew up with James!"

"Yes but I don't see what that has got to do with anything!" I told him graciously before I turned back to my spell.

I had nearly got it; a few more moments of silent concentration or Dorcas's useful tips would be immensely helpful.

"So have you got anything?" Sirius interrupted me, the spell nearly having come out right that time.

I turned a displeased eye to Sirius (and James, for that matter).

"If you mutter one more word then I will make sure to beat you till you're black and blue. And I don't see what is so hard about getting a detention. Why not just drop more Dungbombs around the castle?" I told them sarcastically.

"No we can't do that. That takes away the brilliance of it all; it has to be perfectly planned and perfectly executed with tons of people to witness it; like when we flung food at the Ravenclaw who had been laughing at Pete," James said seriously.

Indeed, James and Sirius had landed themselves in their first detention on their second day at Hogwarts.

A Ravenclaw had been snickering about Peter's eating habits and making snide comments about his weight. Out of anger, James and Sirius flung a load full of food at him.

It was the fastest anyone has ever gotten a detention at Hogwarts.

I paid him no attention as I continued to practice my Charm. I would help them when I was done learning myself.

It took me another five minutes to perfect the Lumos charm but it had been worth it. I actually loved Charms because though, most people consider it a soft option, I considered it to be what was the most brilliant about Magic.

Transfiguration was fun, definitely, but it had nothing on Charms. It was almost sad, I reflected with a despondent sigh, that not as much people enjoyed Charms as I did.

However, I did place my wand down and turn back to the boys, who had been muttering and talking nonstop for the last five minutes.

I didn't find it fair that James and Sirius already had gotten the Charm down perfectly, way before this class, though I wasn't sure I could say the same of Peter.

"So what plans have you boys got?" I asked critically to them.

James gave me a satisfied grin. "We got it already. What we're going to do is simple and completely brilliant. Want to hear it?"

"Only if you don't land _me_ in detention," I told him but leaned in to listen as well.

And so James told me their plan; it was actually a fairly funny one though they'd need help from Andromeda again.

They planned to make a copy of the large portrait of Godric Gryffindor in our Common Room and plant it in the Slytherin Common Room with a Permanent Sticking Charm; the portrait of Godric Gryffindor would replace the portrait of Salazar Slytherin.

I could already imagine the Slytherins' horror when they discovered a large portrait of Gryffindor in the place where Slytherin usually is.

Though I couldn't see how that would land James in detention, it would be _hilarious_.

"Oh that's brilliant! I hate that you want to get detention, James, but that is a good idea," I admitted with a reluctant smile.

James looked pleased with himself but Sirius cut in, "I don't see why you're so against getting detentions and everything. What's wrong with that?"

"Besides that the fact that they're a waste of time and I don't want that sort of thing going on my record? It sets a bad behavior and a bad precedent," I told them wisely, trying my best to hide my smile.

Unfortunately for me, James had spotted it. "Out with it Jennifer. What is it you're not telling us?"

"Nothing!" I insisted with wide eyes. My innocent, I'm-not-telling-a-lie eyes. "I just don't want people to get the wrong impression of me."

Namely the fifth year Gryffindor prefect whose best mate happens to be the older brother of Alice Whitaker, a very friendly third year girl with whom I've gotten close with.

Apparently, the innocent look I had been going for was too innocent, as James and Sirius immediately started bombarding me with questions.

Peter stayed silent though I knew from the look on his face that he was deathly curious.

"So you obviously have someone you want to impress," Sirius managed to fish out of me after we had shown our perfected Charms to Professor Flitwick, Peter failing slightly but his failure covered up by our successes.

"Not anyone in particular," I said stubbornly. "Can I go sit with my friends now?"

James cried with horror, "No you cannot; not until you tell me what you're hiding from me! You never have secrets from me, Jen…"

I paused and stared at James.

It was then that I had my anticlimactic discovery that James was no longer the first person I confided to and James no longer needed me to help him cause trouble.

James had managed to think of a perfect prank, completely without my help, and this hadn't been the first prank and mischief that these boys have caused in one month.

I had been crushing on a fifth year prefect by the name of Wayne Robinette and the first person I told was Alice, then Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary.

Lily must already know since she was in the dorm but she was doing a fine job of ignoring me so I couldn't be sure if she cared enough to listen to our conversations.

Though I was in no mood to explain to James that it was possible to have feelings for the opposite sex even at eleven, at least for me, the thought that James and I were no longer each other's number one go to person saddened me.

"_Hello?_ Earth to Jennifer?" James waved an irritable hand in front of my face.

Dramatically and completely unnecessarily, I took his hand and pulled it to my lap, a frown on my face.

James was about to say something but I cut him off by lowering my voice significantly and leaning in. "I don't want to get detention because I want to make sure that our fifth year prefect doesn't get the wrong impression of me," I told him, the same frown still on my face.

"Why would you want to impress prefects?" Peter asked confusedly.

"Keep up, Pete. She obviously fancies him," Sirius said impatiently, looking irritable. "What I can't understand is why on Earth would you want to fancy _Wayne Robinette_ when-"

"Can you keep your bloody voice down?" I hissed angrily, clapping my hands to Sirius' mouth and muffling his next words.

He was so bloody loud and uncontrollable.

When I was sure Sirius wouldn't start on a rampage and announce to our entire Charms class about my crush, I huffed and pulled my hand down and turned to James.

He had a weird expression on his face well as he said, "Your friends know, don't they? McKinnon, Meadowes, and Macdonald."

I nodded sadly. "Alice Whitaker knows too. She's the reason why I haven't completely given up in the first place."

There was a silent moment as Sirius was most likely trying to gauge the situation between James and I while Peter was still mightily confused.

James and I stared at each other and like that, an understanding passed.

No words were needed and no curses were thrown. Just a complete understanding of how even a month of Hogwarts has changed us.

"I'm sorry James," I said softly, sighing a little. I wasn't quite sure how just a bloody month of Hogwarts could change us so much.

He shook his head, a grin coming onto his face. "Don't worry about it; you have your mates and I have mine but in the end, we're still Potters."

"Potters forever?" I replied with a smile.

"Potters forever," James agreed.

I grinned at him and got up.

Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and a friendly wave to Sirius and Peter, I said, "Well I'm off. Marlene said she has news for me about Wayne and I'm dying to hear it."

I ignored James's (and Sirius's) horrified and overprotective expression as I collected my things and flounced away towards Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary.

Yes, everything would be okay for James and me.

_First Year: February__10__th__, 1971_

_Gryffindor Tower: 1__st__ year Girls' Dormitory #1_

*******  
**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

It was pathetic, but yes, I was crying over a boy.

I was crying over a boy who _literally_ didn't know I existed.

Wayne Robinette had decided to get himself a girlfriend; they have been holding hands and kissing everywhere in public and I couldn't stand it anymore.

Obviously, I never had a chance to begin with but it was remarkably upsetting when you find out that your first crush barely knows your name and fancies someone else.

"I… f-f-f-feel s-s-s-s-s-so _STUPID_," I wailed as I sat on my bed, sniffling and eating the chocolate Mary had given me at the same time.

Chocolate always makes the soul feel better.

Alice, the brilliant and wonderful and amazing Alice Whitaker, patted by back comfortingly, her arm around my shoulders.

"Don't feel stupid! It's my fault, if anything. I told you to just go for it," Alice sighed sadly, showing off just how great of a person she is by saying that.

"No of course it's not your fault, Alice!" Marlene said horrified, taking the words right from my head. "Jennifer doesn't blame you!"

To show that I agreed with this statement, I just nodded, but continued my gaze on my flowery bed sheets.

I felt stupid, crying over a boy couldn't put my name to my face; but this was the first time for all of us.

Neither Alice nor her best friend Emmeline Vance had been through any of this sort of rubbish.

"Come now, Jennifer. It'll be alright, now," Dorcas said gently, trying to reason with me.

Taking a deep breath, I knew what she said was true. I was being silly and it _would_ be alright.

I had overheard some older students say how five people were reported dead in this morning's Daily Prophet, and here I was, crying because some boy I didn't know existed got a girlfriend.

While the five of us, Alice, Marlene, Mary, Dorcas, and I sat there crowded around my bed while I finished off the last bit of my chocolate with the four of them cheering me up considerably, the door swung open.

There revealed Lily Evans, holding a tub of ice cream and looking unsure of herself.

As she slowly closed the door, I watched her curiously as she then slowly and still really unsure, cross her way to my bed.

"Hullo Lily," I said lifelessly while the others waved or smiled at her in recognition. I had always felt uncomfortable calling her Evans, even if we technically weren't on close terms.

It felt just _wrong_ to call your roommate by her last name.

She stopped in front of me and I looked up at her curiously. Lily squirmed and I noticed how uncomfortable she felt.

Immediately, I felt guilty about making one of my dorm mates uncomfortable around us, even if I was crying. That just wasn't the sort of thing to happen; hell, James's roommates were now his best friends.

Most of these days since September, Lily and I try our best to be cordial and civil to each other.

She hung out with that good for nothing Slytherin friend while I hung out with Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary, and occasionally Alice and Emmeline.

"I saw Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew downstairs," she said softly. "They heard you were upset and wanted to give you ice cream but they couldn't get upstairs."

Silently, she handed me the ice cream, my favorite flavor of chocolate chip cookie dough.

It was also my favorite brand of Wizarding ice cream, James no doubt having gone through the trouble of finding me ice cream and knowing how much I loved my ice cream.

I snapped my thoughts away from James, however, and glanced back up at Lily.

I gave her a wide smile, or as wide as I can manage it, and said, "Thanks Lily. Do you want to sit down and hear my sob story?"

Fate once again did work in different and many wonderful ways.

Because I was not the type of person to hold in my emotions when I felt them and because I was the type of person that liked to express myself, I invited Lily Evans to sit down while I told her how stupid I was to like a fifth year who didn't know I existed.

It was also because Lily Evans was a great listener and that she could related on a woman to woman scale of why I felt the need to cry and vent that day.

It was because of those aspects about both Lily and myself that I found myself repeating the story from the beginning to end, including every single tidbit in there that I earned myself a true friend.

After all, it was hard not to become friends on either of our parts when there was a situation such as this that made all of the females in the room connect to each other.

It was because of my confession and Lily Evans' angry bashing of Wayne Robinette that from that day on, Lily Evans's only friend wasn't Severus Snape and our dorm was, finally, a united front against whatever evils might be thrown at five girls, be it anything from slavishly difficult Transfiguration essays to the worries of acne to the confusing mind that belongs to the opposite sex.


	2. Second Year

_Second Year: September 1__st__, 1972_

_Platform 9 ¾: Hogwarts Express_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"Can you _please_ go look for Sirius? I have to go find a good compartment," James begged me after we soon ditched Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William. "We'll never get a good compartment at this rate if I have to look for Sirius too."

Aunt Elizabeth wasn't feeling well and neither James nor I wanted her to see us off because she would be much better resting at home but she had insisted.

I exhaled deeply, rolling my eyes. "Fine. I'll go look for Sirius just because I need to look for my friends too," I agreed, slightly reluctantly.

I didn't like the possibility that I would have to face Sirius's intimidating parents. When we waved to him goodbye at the end of last term, his parents looked scary.

James threw me a wide grin and he gave me a quick, fleeting hug before flying off into the crowd. I could barely hear his parting words, "Thanks Jen!"

The moment James disappeared, I started looking around the platform. My eyes met several students and adults whom I knew but no Sirius.

"Jennifer!" I heard a familiar voice behind me. Whipping around, I caught sight of Andromeda Black rushing towards me with a smile on her face.

I immediately brightened up and hurried to make my way to her. "I didn't expect to see you here!" I cried joyously as I gave her a big hug.

As we pulled apart, Andromeda threw me a familiar smile and said, "Well, the 'rents are making me and Bella say goodbye because it is Cissy's last year. It's Reg's first year so it was 'important that the whole family was there'."

She put the last words in air quotes but even with the easy going smile and the nonchalant tone, I couldn't help but feel queasy.

Bella… Bellatrix Black, now engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Oh, so Bellatrix is here," I said in an unnaturally high tone. "Is Rodolphus Lestrange here as well?"

Andromeda surveyed my expression but said all the same, "No, _he's_ not here but she is. Did you want me to go get Sirius?"

Though my instincts screamed yes, for Andromeda to fetch Sirius while I firmly planted my feet here away from Bellatrix Black, logic told me that it would be hard for Andromeda to find me again in this mess of people, and I had promised James I would find Sirius for him.

Sighing and accepting the inevitable, I shook my head. "No that's alright. I'll go back with you to get Sirius. Or at least I'll stand slightly away so I can gesture to him. It'd be hard for you to find me again."

Andromeda nodded, an encouraging and understanding smile on her face as she took my hand and pulled me through the crowd.

While I let Andromeda take me, I tried to mentally calm myself to the best of my abilities.

His parents had let him stay with us during the summer, hadn't they? That must mean that _maybe_ his parents would be-

My mental ramblings came to a stop as _the_ Black family came into view.

The House of Black had many, _many_ different branches and people who belonged on it. There were the ones like my mother, who had been distantly related to Sirius and his parents but a pureblood Black all the same.

Then there were _the_ Blacks, the roots to the entire family tree. Orion and Walburga, Cygnus and Druella, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa, and finally, Sirius and Regulus.

They were _the_ Blacks and nothing could have made my blood run cold than meeting the eyes of _the_ Orion Black.

I was further than 15 feet to them, where their trunks were being pulled behind them by house elves and where the adults had been speaking to a boy who looked remarkably similar to Sirius.

Fate was funny in ways. In a crowd of people, where I could easily have been the smallest person on the Platform, I met Orion Black's eyes, even if Andromeda had already let go of my hand and started to make way towards her family.

Orion Black's eyes were identical to Sirius's and I could easily see where Sirius had inherited his good looks from. Though he had his mother's haughty expression and perhaps some of her traits, his looks were all Orion Black's.

And those piercing grey eyes were even more intimidating on Orion Black than it was on his son. I could see the message plain in his eyes; he had seen me with Andromeda and he obviously recognized me somehow.

He wanted me to approach them.

Taking a deep breath, I started making the painful journey towards the family. Sirius had not yet spotted me, his back turned towards me as he listened to his mother, most likely mentally cursing her as he did.

I also made myself a mental note that I was never doing another favor for James again, especially one that involved Sirius and his parents.

The adults, by then, had noticed Orion's lack of attention and all of the Blacks had turned to me.

I couldn't even focus on Sirius's amused expression or Regulus Black's curious one, as Bellatrix Black's sneer and Walburga Black's calculating eyes were all I could think of.

Instinctively, I stood up even straighter than before and thanked my lucky stars that Aunt Elizabeth had forced me into those extensive manner classes given to young pureblood girls.

She had been right when she said they'd be handy one day.

By the time I had reached the entire family, I was certain that I was trembling.

Knowing that I shouldn't speak first, I stayed silent. My eyes quickly darted to Sirius, who was still looking like he was doing his hardest not to laugh at me.

That bloody git.

"What's your name?" Walburga barked. Oh my _Merlin_, she's so flipping scary.

Whatever color was left on my face must have drained out immediately with her words.

"Je- Guinevere Potter, ma'am," I said, changing my mind at the last minute. It would be better to use real names, as nicknames might not bode well.

"Who are your parents?" she asked again, her eyes focused on me.

From a close up, I could see that she was not a real beauty. Walburga Black did, however, have a sort of charm and certain foreboding charisma that made it impossible to call her any negative names.

And there _was_ the fact that you didn't want to know what could happen to you if she ever caught a whiff of those negative words.

"Charlus and Dorea Potter, ma'am. They had passed away due to dragon pox," I replied as firmly as possible.

I resisted the urge to kick Sirius; he was _still _looking like he was about to piss himself from laughing.

"Dorea Black?" Orion suddenly asked and I cast my eyes towards him, careful not to look him directly in the eyes. Without meeting his eyes, however, it had been impossible for me to gauge his reaction.

I nodded, feeling thankful for the first time in my life that my mother's maiden name had been Black. "Yes, sir."

Though Andromeda's entire family had stayed silent, Bellatrix had still been sneering at me the entire time.

At the mention of my mother, her sneer became less pronounced, though I was sure that it would return the moment I told them what my house was.

I prayed to Merlin that they didn't ask.

"So what was it that you needed?" Walburga said impatiently, sending a look to Orion that I didn't quite catch the meaning of.

"My cousin James and I were just looking for Sirius to share our compartment," I said, dispelling the fear that I was feeling out of my voice.

Being timid and shy and scared wasn't an image I liked to present to Orion and Walburga Black and certainly not something that I'd care to let Bellatrix Black know.

"Just the three of you? What a quaint little group," Bellatrix finally drawled.

Oh _Merlin's_ beard…

I resisted the urge to cringe. The way she was talking reminded me of a way I'd talk to a baby. I knew that I couldn't lie to her; it wouldn't _do_ to lie.

"I was actually looking for some of my other friends as well," I said, glancing her way so as to make sure that it didn't seem like I was ignoring her, no matter _how _much I wanted to.

"And who are little Guinevere's friends?" Bellatrix continued to ask, not losing that baby tone of hers. I noted silently that Narcissa was gone, as Andromeda, shooting her older sister warning looks, was alone.

"Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes," I replied, having enough sense to not mention Mary and Lily.

I prayed to Merlin that they also didn't ask who else would be with us, as I had no idea whether Sirius had let his family know that he was best friends as well with Remus and Peter, both half bloods.

Walburga visibly bristled at their names; the McKinnons and Meadowes had long been known to be the Gryffindor type of pureblood, no matter how powerful of a pureblood family they were.

"_Gryffindors._ Are you a Gryffindor?" Walburga demanded.

I considered, momentarily, whether I should mention that I had almost been sorted into Ravenclaw _and_ Slytherin before deciding that saying that would seem too much like I was kissing up to their arses.

"Yes, ma'am, I am," I told her, trying not to sigh.

Whatever slightly positive regards they had of me must have flown out the window at that moment.

"Hm…" I could hear the disapproving tone in Walburga Black's voice.

Yes, I was a _genius_.

"Let them go, Walburga. Regulus can find Evan Rosier himself," Orion said with a tone that meant no arguments. "At least Sirius has enough sense to be _close_ friends with purebloods, even if he chooses to be acquainted with _half-bloods_."

Oh _Merlin_, and there it was.

My eyes darted to Sirius; he had now dropped the amused expression and was now trying not to scowl at his father.

So his parents definitely know that he's friends with Remus and Peter.

"Off you go, boy," Sirius's uncle Cygnus said with a small sneer that reminded me of Bellatrix's.

Without warning, Sirius grabbed my hand and tugged me away from his parents so fast that I hardly had time to said goodbye.

Though it was probably for the best, as I was not quite sure how I would say goodbye; a traditional curtsy was out of place.

"Sirius, wait," I breathed loudly as Sirius continued to drag me through people, two House elves with his trunk following close behind. "Oh my MERLIN, SIRIUS!"

I was out of breath as Sirius finally stopped. I noticed the scowl on his face had all but disappeared as he looked like he wanted to laugh at me.

"You're out of shape, aren't you?" Sirius finally laughed, taking his trunk from the two house elves that squeaked and bowed low to him.

Now that I was safely out of distance of the rest of Sirius's family, I could finally notice the several eyes that had been darting to the House elves.

We had several house elves in the Potter Manor, but never had Aunt Elizabeth ever allowed our house elves to be carrying our trunks.

Things were _clearly_ done differently in the House of Black.

"If you weren't a Gryffindor, then my parents might even have considered you as a potential future wife. Definitely not for me but one of my other male cousins in the House of Black, maybe," Sirius said casually, waiting for me to catch my breath.

I frowned as I straightened up. Though I knew that in pureblood families (all except for ours and probably the McKinnons and Meadowes family), a spouse was chosen by the parents, I hadn't gotten the impression that Orion and Walburga Black liked me at all.

"Are you sure? They looked like they hated me," I told him pointedly.

Sirius shook his head. "Nah, they're like that to everyone; my mum and uncle probably like you the least but you had their approval, somewhat. Aunt Druella probably liked your manners as she didn't comment on anything, and being half a Black is good enough to my father."

"But I still can't marry you," I joked, nudging him as the two of us made our way onto the train.

Sirius snorted. "No because you're still a Potter; Father might be prepared to overlook that and convince Mother to have you marry me, if it ever gets to _that_ in the future, but the fact that you're a Gryffindor screws it all up."

"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" I said sarcastically.

The notion of Sirius's parents arranging a marriage for him was still a foreign concept, no matter how long I had been acquainted with the idea of it.

The first time he had mentioned it to me, it had taken me a good ten minutes to get used to the fact that eventually, Sirius's wife would have be _chosen_ for him.

I thanked my lucky stars that Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William weren't like that.

There was a pause of silence before Sirius asked, "So have you got over what happened this summer yet?"

Immediately, my relief that he was a friendly face in the midst of scarily intimidating people dissipated as I glared at him.

Giving him a quick shove, I tossed my hair behind me and flounced away with one last filthy look thrown at him.

"At least you didn't spend the entire summer being ignored," I grumbled bad temperedly as I had finally found my four friends in a compartment on Hogwarts Express.

Alice and Emmeline had popped by earlier but left at the, unfortunate, lack of space.

Marlene, who had been completely engrossed in braiding Mary's hair, looked at me in surprise. "What do you mean, being ignored?"

"Sirius, Remus, and Peter came over during the summer. They were with us while we were at our summer vacation home in Southern France and the entire time we were there, I was completely ignored! It was too bad none of you girls could have come with me," I said, throwing Lily a significant look.

Since our rough start last year, the two of us had become extremely close.

Now, as long as we agreed to disagree about certain boys in our year, we were completely comfortable with being as brutally honest as we wanted to.

We had both discovered that the two of us were fairly similar in some ways, our love for Charms being one.

Lily rolled her eyes. She said, "I _told _you, Jen. My mum wanted me to take some courses for me to learn some regular Muggle work. It hadn't been a bad idea, really."

"Only _you_ would refuse a vacation at the _Potter's_ vacation home in France to go to a summer class where they teach you English," Dorcas scoffed, raising her eyebrows. "If it weren't for the fact that it was absolutely mandatory that I attend my great aunt's celebration for her hundredth birthday and I'd be shot out of the house if I didn't go, then I would have agreed in an instant."

"I couldn't believe _all_ of us were busy though!" Mary said with wide eyes as she cautiously felt the braid that Marlene had done behind her head. "Even Alice and Emmeline were busy! That seems to impossible yet it's true."

"I know!" I sighed with relief that someone else noticed this. "My Aunt Elizabeth was worried when I told them that none of you girls could go; she thought I was a complete loner with only one friend or something until James cut in and set her right."

"Wait, so you aren't a loner?" Marlene interjected.

Scowling, I threw a licorice wand at her as she and the others laughed at my expense.

"No but really. Lily had her English class, Dorcas had her great aunt's birthday, Mary was gone with her family on vacation, Marlene, your older cousin was getting married, Alice's great grandpa died so it was hardly appropriate, and while Emmeline might have rejected me simply because we don't know each other too well, I _know_ that she was at some Ministry-sponsored program for Hogwarts students," I listed off, ticking each of them off with a finger.

Lily frowned and said, "You know, now that you say it like that, I can't believe we were all so busy that we couldn't even have arranged a day to see each other before the day we went to get our Hogwarts things after the letter came."

"You have _no_ idea!" Mary nodded fervently. "This entire summer because I couldn't do magic and I wasn't around magic at all, I was almost positive that the magic had been sucked out of me until I got the Hogwarts letter again."

"As if that could happen!" I scoffed, dismissing the idea. "You're brilliant at Herbology! Who else could be so brilliant at Herbology?"

"Alice is pretty good at Herbology," Marlene shrugged. I rolled my eyes; that hadn't been my point, though I knew it was true.

Before anyone could reply, the compartment door slid open.

I blinked in surprise as I saw James and Sirius standing there.

"What do you need?" I frowned. Seeing James reminded me of how much I hated him at the moment for throwing me into the deep end to meet Sirius's parents.

"Do you have any more galleons on you? Bloody Sirius and Pete had a bet to see who could eat more chocolate frogs at one time and… well, you get the point. We want more food but Remus and Pete didn't bring much and we already spent the galleons Sirius and I brought," James explained quickly, his eyes darting to everyone in the compartment, and settling on Lily just a moment too long before he snapped his eyes back to mine.

I rolled my eyes.

Figures.

They _would_ be able to finish of all the food they managed to buy with Sirius and James's pocket money, which was not small, for either boy.

Sirius may have a terrible home life but his parents were _definitely_ all about the image. This was proven by the way that he still had tasteful robes and the literally the best of everything even though he was scorned for being sorted into Gryffindor.

No matter how much they hated what he does, his parents still don't want him going around in robes less than the best custom tailored ones, and definitely not without galleons so that he was 'poor'.

It was supposedly not good for the image, and after meeting them, I could see for myself how exactly that was true.

I did get up, however, and finished my money bag from my trunk.

Tossing the whole thing to James, I said, "I know exactly how many galleons, knuts, and sickles I have in there so you better pay it all back to me. And if I see that you have damaged my money bag the least bit, I'm going to hex all of your bits off, James Potter."

"Bloody hell, _something's_ gotten into you," Sirius muttered with a frown as James took a look inside my money bag.

James's face, which had lit up with excitement at my money bag, immediately sobered when he saw my dark expression.

He clearly wasn't forgiven yet for basically ignoring me the whole summer. I must have had bored the house elves to death with my constant chattering.

And the fact that he threw me into the deep end with Sirius's parents was even worse.

"Are you still upset?" James asked warily.

"Why'd you ask that, mate? Now she _will_ be upset," Sirius hissed, whacking his best mate on the back of his head.

At this point, Marlene couldn't help but snort. "So we heard that you boys ignored Jennifer the whole summer while you were all off vacationing," she mentioned casually, throwing me a wink.

That wasn't _all_ why I was upset but I could go with that.

"Technically not my fault. Mum and Dad did tell her to bring someone," James reasoned with Marlene.

"Yeah, all four of us could come, and there are so many of you lot. Why did you all ditch her, then?" Sirius interjected quickly before Marlene, or any of the other girls, could speak.

"SIRIUS!" I reprimanded, not wanting Lily, or anyone else to get upset over his words. "I clearly told you they were all busy!"

The look I gave Sirius obviously didn't make him feel sorry enough as he just shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Sorry lady Guinevere but 'tis true."

"What is 'tis true is that _this_ lady will be kicking you in the balls if you don't_ leave_," I threatened Sirius, though a small smile played at the edge of my lips.

A year now and he still hasn't given up that nickname.

It wasn't even a nickname, considering it was longer, more of a mouthful, and my actual name.

Not to mention, in the back of my mind, I registered how my name sounded a lot more pleasant coming from his mouth rather than Bellatrix's but I glared at him all the same.

James opened his mouth to protest but I quelled him with a look.

The longer he stayed in here, the more risk there was of Lily exploding and I actually liked the idea of having a best friend and I liked the idea of not having to be mad at her on principle because James was being a bloody idiot.

"Fine. Let's go, Padfoot," James shrugged nonchalantly. "See you later, Jen-Jen."

With that, they swiftly exited, leaving the others to immediately turn to me with questions.

"What was up with the whole 'lady' thing?"

"Jen-Jen? Really?"

"You know I saw that smile you gave Black."

"Padfoot? What in the world?"

I held my hands up, distracted with the questions. I gave them a teasing look as I said, "Ladies, one at a time."

Laughing, at their response, I calmed myself down and answered their questions.

"James has been calling me Jen-Jen since we were little. It's a ridiculous nickname but it's affectionate. And Sirius has gotten it into his head that because he's _special_, he gets to be the only one that calls me Guinevere, hence the nickname. As for Padfoot, I don't know. During vacation, one day out of the blue they just started calling each other that. Sirius is Padfoot, James is Prongs, Remus is Moony, and Peter is Wormtail. And Lily, I have absolutely no idea _what_ smile you're talking about. I did _not_ smile at Sirius."

"Why would they create nicknames for each other?" Marlene wrinkled her nose in confusion, jumping the gun at my answers.

I shrugged and expanded, "They were all excited one day about something and then James said he had a brilliant idea at the dinner table before ushering them all away. Next day, they're all calling each other by those nicknames. It drove me mad till I figured out who was actually who."

"Maybe it's for a prank…" Mary mused. "Like how they managed to turn all of the Slytherins' hair scarlet and gold on the day of the Quidditch final."

Dorcas slapped her thigh in amusement. "That was bloody hilarious! Davis' face when he realized that his entire team had scarlet and gold hair and they were playing against the Gryffindors for Quidditch!"

Marlene nodded and replied, "I agree. Those boys are idiots but I have to say, those pranks are good. It'll never be on us because we're Gryffindors and Jen's best friends, but they are pretty funny."

As the other girls continued to talk about the possible things that might happen this year, I didn't miss Lily's hissed whisper in my ear.

"Jennifer Dorea Potter. I _know_ what I just saw. You are one of my best friends- no don't argue!" Lily immediately said as she saw my face, no doubt ready to argue that _Snape_ was probably her best friend… bah! "Don't argue about that now! I saw that smile you gave Black."

"It was nothing! I don't fancy him if that's what you're getting at," I hissed back.

"I bloody hope not! Because Wayne Robinette broke up with his girlfriend during the summer and I thought you'd like to know," Lily said triumphantly.

"WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER?!"

_Second Year: November 27__th__, 1972: 2:05PM_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter **

If there was one thing that made me so bloody dissastisfied about Hogwarts, then it would be that classes are so far apart from each other.

And when you've been asked to stay after class just so your Potions teacher can invite you to the Slug Club, something that he has long invited your best friend, your cousin, and your cousin's best friend, that dissatisfaction increases.

I had long given up hope to try to reach History of Magic on time. As I huffed and winced at how heavy my book bag was, I didn't notice a looming figure that was about to cross my path.

It wasn't until while he had bent down to tie the lace of his trainers and I, being completely unobservant due to my current state of madness, bumped into him that brought to my startling attention that there was another person there.

And that the person there had been a bloke whom I had been crying about nearly a year ago.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped, as Wayne Robinette stood up, gingerly rubbing the spot on his head that I had accidentally hit with my book bag.

Really, this was _completely _like me. Hitting my crush, a bloke who happens to be four years older than me, on the head with a book bag was just _so_ me.

Rather graciously, Wayne Robinette shook his head. He shot me that brilliant smile and I found myself silently reprimanding my knees not to give out as I just admired him from up close.

He was even more handsome from up close.

The blonde hair, blue eyes, tall figure, the prefects' badge pinned on his robes, and the broom he held in one hand.

Yes, did I forget to mention that Wayne Robinette was also on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team?

He was positively _brilliant_ as a Keeper.

"You're Jennifer, right? Alice's friend? James's cousin?" Wayne confirmed, tilting his head in that insanely cute way.

Was it even appropriate for me to say that I wanted to kiss him? James would have my head on a platter if he ever knew.

I nodded. Alice's friend, James's cousin, the girl who fancied you since September of last year…

Swallowing hardly, I took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. Jennifer Potter. You're Wayne Robinette, right? Aaron's friend? James's teammate?"

Aaron as in Aaron Whitaker, Alice's older brother.

And yes, James and Sirius had tried out and made the Quidditch team, much to my surprise.

Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William bought James a new broom, and it was through the gentle manipulation of words to Sirius's parents by his uncle Alphard that Sirius also got a new broom.

I had known James was brilliant at Quidditch but I didn't know that Sirius was just as good, as a beater. Though granted, I had never seen him play much.

He and James must have practiced a ridiculous amount though, knowing James.

A smile creeped onto Wayne's face as he laughed. "Yeah that's me. Wayne Robinette. Where are you off to?"

Aw, shit. I was _so_ late for History of Magic.

"I was held up by Slughorn in Potions because he invited me to the Slug Club. I was heading to History of Magic but I'm so bloody late now I might as well just say I was feeling sick," I said, grimacing.

I couldn't help but brag a little that I was in the Slug Club. It really wasn't any big deal whether you were in it or not but at least it was _something_ going for me.

"You're in the Slug Club?" Wayne's eyes popped with interest. "I didn't know that. That's great for you."

My face, sadly, flushed happily at his compliment, though it wasn't much of one anyways. "Thanks. But he could have just invited me because of my background."

Wayne, being ever the gentleman, dismissed this theory as he said, "Nonsense! From what I've heard, you're pretty brilliant."

For the second time today, my face started to resemble a tomato. WHY couldn't I keep my face in control?

I was barely able to stammer out my thanks.

Wayne checked his watch, frowning. "You know, Binns isn't going to give you detention but I'll walk you to class. I'm a prefect so I can make up so excuse," he said as he jerked his head down the corridor.

My eyes widened with disbelief as I readjusted my book bag. "You'd do that?" I asked, stunned as the two of us walked to History of Magic together.

"Of course. I wouldn't want Gryffindor to lose points, would I?" Wayne teased.

Though I knew he was only teasing and that he was being nice, I couldn't help but deflate slightly.

He obviously wasn't doing this because he had some big pent up love for me somewhere in his heart.

That was a silly concept that I had to get rid of.

Wayne must have misinterpreted my slightly gloomy expression as he said, "Jennifer, do you want me to take your book bag? It looks really heavy."

Surprised, I was about to argue that he didn't have to when he had already taken it from me.

He easily carried my book bag with his broomstick in the other hand. I couldn't help but admire his arms through the corner of my eyes.

The rest of the walk to the History of Magic was fairly uneventful, except with a bit of a small talk here and there and occasionally, he'd throw me a brilliant smile and I'd almost faint.

It was depressing that it couldn't have been like a scene from a romantic fiction where five minutes alone suddenly made the bloke interested.

No, things like that _definitely_ didn't happen in real life.

I couldn't have been more bloody awkward.

When we reached the History of Magic, I hadn't been aware that Wayne was actually going to interrupt Professor Binns.

I had thought that he'd just walk me there, see to it that I got to my seat okay, then left. Obviously not.

Wayne knocked softly on the door, clearing his throat before I could even have a chance to protest.

Almost immediately, the heads of everyone, sans those who were asleep, turned to gap at Wayne and me.

I could see Lily, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas gasp dramatically and I resisted the urge to do something stupid and silly.

"Sorry for interrupting you but I just had to talk to Jennifer about some prefect things and she was kept by Slughorn after her Potions class. I hope you don't mind terribly, Professor Binns," Wayne said in a voice that sounded like melted honey.

If my face wasn't completely red or if my knees were completely inadequate at doing anything, then I was positive it was at that moment.

Professor Binns, who didn't look happy to be interrupted, just merely said, "Fine, Ms. Porter. Please see to your seat immediately."

I nodded quickly as Professor Binns returned to droning about Goblin wars. I turned to Wayne to get my book bag from him, my face probably red with a goofy smile intact.

Fate hates me that way as well; it was too bloody hard for fate to have possibly granted me the possibility of having that coolly aloof air that some girls manage to pull off.

As Wayne slid my book bag from his shoulders and handed it to me, he smiled that same _amazing_ smile and said, "It was nice seeing you. I'll catch you later, Jennifer."

With _another_ smile and a bloody _wink_, Wayne took off, leaving me in higher spirits than ever as I sprinted to my seat, ignoring James and Sirius, both of whom looked _very_ unhappy.

"_Oh my gosh!" _I quietly squealed to my friends as I took my seat next to Dorcas.

The ecstatic-for-me look on their faces told me all that I needed to know.

_Second Year: November 27__th__, 1972: 4:30 PM_

_The Gryffindor Tower: Common Room _

**As Told By Jennifer Potter **

"I don't see why you are so bothered by this!" I said agitated to James and Sirius. "Is there anything wrong with me socializing with a fellow Housemate?"

"No of course not. It's the fact that it was bloody Wayne Robinette that's the problem," James said easily as he blocked the path for me to go up to the girls' dormitory.

I gave him a flat look. "Move, James. I need to put my things away."

"Sure you don't want to keep your bag around with you everywhere? Now that lover boy has touched it, I expect you to keep it as your most prized possession," Sirius mocked, his grey eyes full of unexplainable anger.

The both of them have been in an appalling mood since the end of the History of Magic, having bombarded me and demanded answers to their questions.

Was I really about to discuss Wayne Robinette, a bloke who probably doesn't like me like that _anyways_ with these two?

No.

And was I really going to let Sirius know that the way he was talking to me actually sort of hurt deep down?

No.

"Just because I used to fancy him does not mean I'm going to lose my head. He's a sixth year and I'm a second. He was being friendly and helpful and if this is some sort of familial obligation, then you can just forget about it," I said stiffly, tacking on the last sentence with venom as I glared at the two boys.

James opened his mouth to argue but I started talking over him.

In a voice that sounded quite like Aunt Elizabeth's, I informed the two of them, "No, you two listen to me. I don't need you running around after me like I can't take care of myself. After feeling completely stupid for crying over a bloke who never knew I existed, I think I know better than to do something like that again, so you two can just drop it. He's not only your prefect and your superior, but also your teammate. He knew nothing of my own childish feelings so you two are not going to say anything or act like complete prats just because I had a moment of weakness."

My words stunned James and Sirius into silence as the two of them were speechless, gaping at me like I had just sprouted two more heads.

Sirius opened _his_ mouth to say something this time, but I suddenly figured that I didn't want to hear it.

I didn't want to hear what they had to say to me because even though I knew it was with good intentions from the bottom of their hearts, it'd only make me feel more stupid.

I shook my head quickly and sighed. "I'm going to put my things down and wash up before I head down to the Great Hall with the girls. I'll catch you two later," I mumbled quickly before turning heel and running up the stairs.

Yes, I most definitely did _not_ need James and Sirius to tell me that I had been stupid for acting like a complete girl whose fairytale dream was about to come true.

When I had finally reached my dorm room, I threw my book bag down angrily on my bed.

Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary raised a curious eye. Angrily, I explained, "James and Sirius were just giving me trouble about this whole business with Wayne and now once again, I feel utterly _stupid_."

"Why should Black be upset? What's he to you?" Lily asked with a scoff. I appreciated her effort to be as best-friend like without openly showing her derision for James and Sirius.

I sighed. "I don't know; he probably feels obligated to be upset because of James. Either way, he's like a brother to me so I'd probably be the same."

"What did they say, though? Like specifically?" Mary frowned, setting down her hairbrush after running it through her already perfect hair.

"They kept on asking me why I was talking to him in the first place. After I explained, they started muttering how he was being 'overly helpful'. And then when I told them off for that, they said that I shouldn't be talking to him anyways. They were so bothered, really. And Sirius…" I hesitated here.

"What about Sirius?" Marlene asked curiously.

I sighed. I ran my fingers through my hair and said reluctantly, "I don't know; the way he kept on going on and on about it was annoying. When I told him and James that I wanted to put my things away, Sirius asked me why I didn't want to carry my bag around everywhere now that Wayne _touched _it."

"HE SAID WHAT?!" Lily shouted angrily. Her eyes blazed with anger.

I cringed; that had been _exactly_ why I wasn't sure if I had wanted to say it.

"I know. He was being a git like he always is but he had good intentions," I argued for Sirius's sake.

"Jen, please tell me _why_ you feel the need to defend him all the time," Lily said exasperatedly. "He was wrong and he shouldn't say that to you."

"I know he shouldn't and I'm not saying that it's okay. But I don't know… it's odd to be so angry at them," I explained with a frown.

Perhaps sensing my frustration, Dorcas said tactfully, "Well, putting James Potter and Sirius Black aside, I personally want dinner. I'd been starving the entire day."

"Shall we go then?" Mary grinned as she took Dorcas's arm.

"Yes; let's," I agreed with my own smile.

_Second Year: March 10__th__, 1973_

_The Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Sirius Black **

Though it was a Saturday, it wasn't a good morning.

"Did you hear what happened? To Robbie Mitchell?"

I looked up from my breakfast to raise a tired eye at the frantic Jennifer who had rushed up to James, Remus, Peter, and I.

James frowned and said, "What happened to him?"

"Lucius Malfoy cursed him! Apparently Malfoy and Travers had been laughing at how distraught Marie Chambers had been about the death of her uncle and Robbie Mitchell happened to be turning around the corner of a fourth floor corridor and he heard them. Robbie started having a go at Malfoy and Rosier so they attacked him! Madam Pomfrey is thinking of sending Robbie to St. Mungo's because of how badly he'd been injured!" Jennifer rambled on, her blue eyes wide with shock.

I nearly spat out my pumpkin juice at her words. James choked on his toast, Peter's fork stopped in mid-air and Remus's mouth dropped open.

"_What?!_ So they cursed him… _literally_," James confirmed, his jaw tightening with what I noticed was anger.

Jennifer nodded. "I don't know what they did because everyone's swapping rumors but Lily's trying to find out from Snape what exactly Malfoy and Rosier did."

I bristled at the mention of Snivellus.

The git knew more dark curses and spells than half of the seventh years last year; the only ones who probably knew more than he did was Rabastan Lestrange and _his_ croonies.

Bloody Snivellus.

"They should be expelled if they almost landed Robbie Mitchell in St. Mungo's," Remus frowned, sounding shocked.

Jennifer shrugged. "I agree but I don't think Dumbledore will think like that…"

Her voice trailed off and her drifted towards something in the distance. I followed her line of vision until my eyes hit the figure of Wayne Robinette talking to his friends down the table.

Resisting the urge to pull out my wand and do something stupid, I clenched my fists. Why on Earth Jennifer was so obsessed with Wayne Robinette was beyond me.

There wouldn't be a happier day till next year, when that git is finally gone.

"Staring at your lover?" I snapped, annoyed. "Don't worry; he's not going to disappear anytime soon."

Jennifer's eyes immediately snapped back to mine and she narrowed them, folding her arms with huffily. "Don't be mean, Sirius. I thought we were over this entire thing."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed that James had given me a warning look.

If it were anyone else, I would have ignored it. But because it was James, however, I sighed inwardly and just muttered, "We are."

Jennifer watched me for a moment longer before nodding. "Well, I have to go find the others. I'm sure they already know but all the same."

With a quick smile and a wave, Jennifer disappeared, her black hair bouncing behind her. I watched her leave, feeling oddly dissatisfied when she casted one last glance over at Wayne Robinette.

"I don't bloody see why she fancies him so much," James muttered bad temperedly.

Likewise, my friend… likewise. At least James shared my sentiment, even if he didn't want me mouthing off to Jen.

Remus snorted as I nodded. "You two are hopeless," he said with a small smile.

I ignored Remus; I wasn't going to dignify _that_ with an answer.

Remus, however, wasn't about to let it go. "Really, you two. Jen's sensible. She's not going to do something stupid."

"But the way she was crying about him!" James protested, as perplexed as I was.

Does it _matter_ that Jen's usually full of logic and sensibility? If last year was any indication, then Jen shouldn't ever be allowed to fancy blokes.

"Exactly," I nodded wisely. "She shouldn't be allowed to fancy blokes at all. They're all just going to hurt her."

James held his hand up for a high five and I returned it with a grin. Remus just shook his head with a deep sigh. Pete, as usual, just stared back and forth between James, Remus, and I, looking anxious.

Remus turned back to his breakfast but warned, "You know you're not going to be able to keep Jen on a lease forever,"

"We're not putting her on a lease!" I told Remus outraged.

"Yeah! Leases are for Sirius," James teased, nudging me in the side.

"Shut it!" I hissed, glancing all around me to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Don't mention it _here_!"

James rolled his eyes and dismissed the warning immediately. "Padfoot, it's not like anyone knows what we're talking about."

"Still; all the same, it's better not to mention it in public," Remus added with a slight frown. He turned his line of vision onto his food, studying it intently.

Peter asked quickly, "Remus, are you okay?"

"You're not still worrying that we'll be in trouble, are you?" James raised his eyebrows.

"Really, Moony. We're done with step two, so there's no turning back now," I told him easily, trying to alleviate him of his worries.

Remus finally looked up at the three of us, his eyes serious.

He lowered his voice considerably before saying, "You three do remember that the sentence in Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus is three to five years, right?"

I frowned; it wasn't that I had _forgotten_ the information, nor was it that I had forgotten how worried Remus was about this whole ordeal of becoming an Animagus.

The three of us had found out Remus's secret after Christmas of our first year.

It actually hadn't been hard at all, since Remus was so bad at excuses for why he always disappeared once every month around the time of the full moon.

For the entire remainder of the year after our discovery, the four of us focused on studying werewolves to know more about them, until James discovered the brilliant idea of Animagi.

James and I had jumped on the idea at once, though Peter was far more hesitant. He had been full of doubts of whether it would be possible for us.

Remus, on the other hand, was against the idea, until James and I told him that we were going to do it anyways, with or without his help.

And yet, he was still so bloody worried.

"Only the four of us know, and we've done brilliantly so far, haven't we? It'll be okay," James reassured him confidently.

And we had indeed.

The first step (which was the easiest step) was to conjure a corporeal Patronus and learn as much about the animal of our Patronus as possible, as it would be the form we would take.

James's was a stag, Pete's was a rat, and mine was a dog. Though Remus is incapable of becoming an Animagus, he completed the first step with us, his Patronus taking a shape of a wolf.

The second step had been to be able to be able to transfigure ourselves into the animal completely, which had taken the longest bloody time.

It had only been last night when we had finally gotten Peter to be able to transfigure onto himself a rat's tail.

"Still… all the same…" Remus trailed off with a frown.

I shook my head at him. Sometimes, Remus worried too much. "Moony, my dear friend, you need to lighten up. It'll be okay; trust me."

And it would be okay, if it was the last thing I do.

James, Remus, and Peter were my family now, my brothers. Come whatever may, be it Animagi frustrations, late nights roaming the castle, or the in comprehendible minds of women, I _would_ stand by those three, even if it meant giving up my life.

_Second Year: June 18__th__, 1973_

_Platform 9 ¾: The Hogwarts Express_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"You know, I think I'm well and truly over my crush on Wayne Robinette," I told the girls as we climbed off the Hogwarts Express.

"That's what you said last time," Marlene pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah, but this time I'm serious! Even when he breaks up with that new girlfriend of his, I'm not going to be all over him next year," I said firmly as I scanned the crowd.

Dorcas sighed and threw her arms around me. "Well, he _is_ too popular for his own good, so I suppose you'll be much better off this way."

Mary also added helpfully, "And you don't have James and Black annoying you every second."

"That's true; James told me that Sirius had been so annoyed with Wayne that Remus had to remind him not to be so open about it," I sighed heavily.

My first crush on anyone ended with severe glares thrown to him by James and Sirius and the bloke in question completely oblivious.

"Where's Lily?" Marlene frowned as we stood in the crowd, searching for Uncle William and Aunt Elizabeth.

All of the girls were coming over to stay for an extra two weeks at Potter Manor. Likewise, Sirius, Remus, and Peter would be joining James.

Originally, the girls would be coming sometime around the second week of July, but Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William wanted all of the friends to be at the Manor at the same time.

Being the annoying git he was, James had adamantly said the second week of July wouldn't work and demanded we changed the date.

"She was off with Snape, remember?" Mary reminded us. "Lily was telling us how Snape was telling her how they don't nearly spend enough time together."

"As if he owns her!" I scoffed, tossing my hair behind my back. "Has he noticed yet that she much prefers our company than his?"

"More like, has she noticed that his friends hate him hanging out with Lily?" Dorcas said, resting against her trunk.

Marlene shook her head. "Nah, there's no way that she wouldn't have noticed. I bet you anything that they have arguments about each other's friends."

"It's like they're dating," Mary frowned.

I made a disgusted face. I said, revolted, "_Lily_? Lily _Evans_ dating _Snivellus_?"

"Don't be so mean, Jen. He's not _that_ bad," Marlene giggled.

"Not that bad as in not quite to the point of looking like a male hag," I said critically.

Dorcas snorted. "His nose certainly looks like one."

"You three are terrible," Mary said, though the amusement in her eyes told us that she silently agreed.

I shrugged nonchalantly. I wasn't bothered at all with my comments, though I certainly wouldn't fancy Lily hearing me talk like that.

Snivellus and I didn't have a good relationship at all, and I tended to avoid him most of the times. If I saw him walking down the hallway, I'd turn and walk the opposite direction.

In polite terms, I'd say that he and I just didn't see eye-to-eye. In plainer terms, I'd say that he and I disliked each other almost as much as he, James, and Sirius dislikes each other.

"Remind me again why you dislike Snape," Marlene asked, twirling a strand of her brown hair in her fingers.

I almost laughed; Marlene hated being bothered with details that didn't concern her and bothersome technicalities.

In some ways, she reminded me of Sirius in the female form, as neither of them liked to show an interest in something if it didn't concern them directly.

Thus, I reminded her, "He hates me for being related to James, good friends with Sirius, and Lily's other best friend. I hate him for what he does to James and Sirius and for being such an evil little prick that's obsessed with the Dark Arts."

"Sev is _not_ obsessed with the Dark Arts," a voice said firmly from behind me.

The four of us turned around to see a stern looking Lily dragging her trunk, thankfully _without_ Snivellus.

"Are you sure about that Lily?" I asked her, raising a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Oh, Jen. Let's not have _that_ conversation now," Lily sighed, throwing me a look that told me this clearly wasn't the time to be discussing that.

Grumbling bad temperedly, I rolled my eyes. "Alright, whatever flows your boat. Let's go find my aunt and uncle."

As us five girls set off in search for Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William, I couldn't help but think that _that_ was a conversation we couldn't avoid forever.


	3. Summer before Third Year

_Summer before Third Year: June 20__th__, 1973_

_The Potter Manor_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"I don't think you thought through this very carefully. James, Sirius, and Lily in the same house for two weeks? That's not a very good idea," Marlene told me cheekily with a smirk.

I just glared at her.

It was the morning of the third bloody day that all nine of us were at Potter Manor and already I wanted to rip my hair off.

At lunch of the first day, James and Lily got into a deeply heated argument after James performed the Softening charm on the chair he had been sitting on.

Lily was completely against using magic, admonishing James for using Magic and taking advantage of the fact that the Ministry is unable to tell who had performed the piece of Magic.

Right before dinner later that day, Lily, Marlene, and I accidentally walked into James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter planning their next big prank, resulting in more Lily Lecturing and several complaints from Sirius.

Out of annoyance that Lily had interrupted their "epic prank planning", Sirius "accidentally" spilled some of his water onto Lily's lap as he walked by her the next day.

Lily had been fuming for nearly half an hour afterwards and made a comment to James and Sirius about how "immature they were" and how "Sev would never do anything like this".

This had resulted in deep indignation on both James and Sirius's part, leading to a full-blown argument that nearly lasted for another half an bloody hour.

I was surprised that Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William hadn't stepped in yet to stop the arguing. As much as they liked Lily, they didn't usually do well with people insulting or bad-mouthing James or me.

"I don't know how I can survive this. If the three of them don't buckle down, then I think I'm going to cry," I sighed heavily with a pout.

Marlene threw her arms around me and said comfortingly, "Don't worry. They're not going to kill each other."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked her sceptically.

"Your Uncle used to be an Auror, didn't he? He wouldn't let that happen under his rooftop," Marlene reassured me as the two of us waltzed outside where Lily, Dorcas, and Mary were crowding around what looked like a letter.

"What's up?" I asked curiously. I took a seat on the grass in front of Mary, as Marlene sat beside me.

"Carol Dowell's family had been attacked by Death Eaters!" Mary exclaimed, thrusting the letter towards me. She bit her lip nervously.

"WHAT?!" I gasped as I quickly smoothed out the letter, shocked beyond belief.

_Mary, _

_I hope you're doing well and this might be a bit of a surprise to hear from me. I know that you're staying at the Potters so I was wondering if you could possibly do me a favour. _

_Last night, my family and I were attacked by Death Eaters. _

_We were enjoying a nice night in before they came barging through the door, scaring the wits out of my family. _

_I could only thank my lucky stars that we live in the countryside, and thus no Muggles witnessed, and thankfully, my parents weren't hurt. _

_I didn't know nearly enough magic to defend against them but all of the spells thrown by the Death Eaters brought the attention of the Ministry quickly enough, as they were shouting horrendous curses left and right. _

_I didn't get a warning from the Ministry for my weak attempts at Petrificus Totalus and Expelliarmus because it was self-defence. _

_What the Ministry did tell me, though, is that they want it to be kept a secret._

_My parents have subscribed to the Daily Prophet because they liked to be informed and the attack wasn't anywhere mentioned in the Daily Prophet. _

_I can only guess that the Ministry is trying to make it all seem like it isn't that big of a deal, but it was. _

_One of the Death Eaters' masks fell off accidentally when my dog started biting him and he looked like the older version of Avery, you know, the Slytherin in our year. _

_That's why I'm nearly 110% positive that they were Death Eaters. I'm staying at Beverly's house and I described it to her parents, who are thankfully magical; they knew that Avery senior was a Death Eater, or at least one in training. _

_Mr. Borris works at the Ministry so he said that he would try to help us all because this isn't something that I believe should be kept a secret, but he doesn't have quite a lot of influence over this, as he works in the Department of Magical Transportation. _

_He said, however, that Mr. Potter does have a lot of influence, even if he is retired at this age. _

_I hope it wouldn't be too much to ask if you could show Mr. Potter this letter and ask him to help. I'm currently staying with Beverly and my parents have relocated, temporarily, to Australia, where we have some family. _

_I'm sorry for ruining your summer with this horrible news, but it would mean the world to me if you could help me out with this one favour. _

_I hope to see you well and soon,  
Carol_

"Oh my goodness…" Marlene murmured when we finished the letter. "Attacked by Death Eaters..."

"And Carol is a Muggleborn…" Dorcas said with a worrying tone.

Immediately, I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding quickly. "Come on; we need to find my Uncle William."

"UNCLE WILLIAM!" I hollered at the top of my lungs as the five of us quickly rushed inside the house. "UNCLE WILLIAM, HELP!"

I found my aunt and uncle in the study, right as they were rushing out.

"What is it?" Aunt Elizabeth asked anxiously, checking me over. "Are you alright?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, I'm fine. Uncle William, look at this! This came from Carol Dowell for Mary earlier. She's a Muggleborn Ravenclaw in our year."

I thrusted the letter towards Uncle William, right as James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had come running over, looking out of breathe.

"What happened? You okay?" James asked breathlessly.

I nodded. "I'm fine; Carol Dowell's family's been attacked."

"_What?_" Sirius asked with wide eyes. "By Death Eaters you mean?"

Mary nodded, her face set in a grim frown. "Last night. The Ministry went over and sorted it out but they told her to keep it a secret."

James snorted derisively. "She was attacked by Death Eaters and they asked to keep it a _secret_?!" he said harshly.

"How does she know they were Death Eaters for certain?" Remus asked, his own worried expression alight her face.

This time, Marlene explained, "One of their masks fell down when her dog started biting him and Carol said he looked like an older version of Avery."

"Well, Avery Senior is definitely a Death Eater," Sirius said with a low and dangerous voice. "I heard the adults talking about when they came over."

Uncle William heaved a heavy sigh as he handed the letter back to Mary. "Harrison Borris isn't wrong; I can definitely go talk Gawain Robards because he's the Head of the Auror Office, but Nobby Leach isn't going to be easy."

"But Leach is our first Muggleborn Minister for Magic! Surely he must be _with _us," I frowned.

"Nobby has a lot of pressure from the other Heads and his Senior Undersecretary. I've been persuading him to get rid of his Senior Undersecretary for ages because I'm almost positive that _he's_ against us," Uncle William explained grimly.

"Harrison Borris _is_ a good wizard, isn't he?" Aunt Elizabeth asked worriedly. "Not that I doubt his or Mildred's competency at Magic but maybe Carol would do better here with us."

Uncle William shook his head at Aunt Elizabeth. "No, don't worry Lizzie. Harrison and Mildred are fantastic. They have another son now whose training to be an Auror so Carol should be perfectly fine at the Borris'."

He turned back towards us and gave us a weak smile. "Be on your toes, girls. Jennifer, please don't stray too far. I know you might want to show them the scenery further out but please let one of us or Pinks accompany you. James, the same goes for you. I need to get to the Ministry."

I nodded, despite not liking the idea of having one of our house elves following all of us around. It would be terribly boring for Pinks.

"Will you be back for dinner?" Aunt Elizabeth asked as all of us trooped over to the nearest Fireplace where Uncle William was preparing to leave.

"I expect I will be a bit late; Nobby Leach isn't one to be persuaded easily but Gawain should be on my side," Uncle William said before shooting all of us a reassuring smile.

He tossed the Floo powder into the grate and said in a loud and clear voice, "The Ministry of Magic."

Aunt Elizabeth sighed as Uncle William disappeared. "Well, that's that. Do you want me to prepare some tea?"

"Yes please, Mum. And some pastry if you could," James said eagerly.

Aunt Elizabeth smiled before nodding. "Boys, come with me. Let's leave the girls in peace," she said gently before ushering the boys all towards the direction of the kitchen.

I let out a huge sigh as us five girls collapsed onto the couches in the living room.

"I can't believe she was attacked," I sighed heavily. "Poor Carol! What a way to spend the summer."

"The Ministry is barking mad for expecting Carol to keep this a secret," Dorcas frowned. "I'm not sure why they asked to keep this down when all of the other attacks have been published."

Lily suddenly said, "Haven't you noticed?"

I raised my eyebrows; up until now, I hadn't noticed that Lily had been unusually silent.

"Noticed what?"

"All of the attacks before have been on wizarding families who have 'tainted' their magical blood by associating with Muggles and Muggleborns or for supporting them. The attacks on Muggles are also published because we have no connection to those Muggles at all, besides occupying the same living space. This is probably one of the first, if not the first, time that a Muggleborn witch's family has been attacked, even if Carol is only our age," Lily explained patiently.

Mary said slowly, "So what does this mean?"

"I think what Lily's getting at is that because Carol's a witch, it's now personal. It's a statement that Voldemort is going to attack anyone that he thinks is unworthy, even if he or she holds a wand," Dorcas said heavily.

I sighed again. "I can't believe it's so serious already. But why attack Carol's family? I don't understand why they chose Carol above anyone else."

"It probably has something to do with Avery. If his dad is the one that attacked them, then Avery's probably the one who told him," Marlene reasoned.

Mary answered, "I suppose so. You girls know how I'm fairly close with Carol. She told me last year that Slughorn relocated Avery to work at her table after he and Mulciber cheated too many times in Potions from Snape."

"Sev _let_ them cheat?" Lily hissed, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

Lily obviously didn't like that idea, though I can't be arsed to argue with her. Frankly, it seemed like _just_ the sort of thing that I'd expect Snivellus to do.

"Well, he probably wouldn't want to look bad in front of his friends," Mary suggested.

Marlene shook her head. "Nope, I don't think so. It's not like Snape really minds, does he?"

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"Well, no offense at all Lily, but think about it this way. He wasn't bothered at all about what happened to Robbie Mitchell and said to Lily that he had it coming, didn't he?" Marlene started.

Lily sighed. "Yes, but Marls, I told you. He didn't-"

"_And_," Marlene interrupted, "he's been putting up with all of Avery and Mulciber's horrible bullying and sometimes participating. I don't know about his own personal moral compass but he obviously doesn't mind his friends' bad behaviour. And even if he does mind, it's not like Snape tries to do anything about it, does he?"

Lily fell silent at Marlene's argument. I inwardly marvelled at how she came up with such a good argument against Snivellus though I didn't believe that he _had_ a personal moral compass.

I observed Lily, though as we all fell into a thoughtful silence.

This subject had been something that all of us had been avoiding. Dorcas, Marlene, and Mary had also stated many times that they wanted to address Lily's friendship with Snape."

As her best friends, all of us only wanted the best for Lily.

I just wasn't sure that the best for Lily was to be associating herself with Snape.

Mary didn't think that we should push Lily about Snape, as he had been her first friend. Dorcas agreed but voiced her worry that Snape would become a bad influence.

Marlene didn't think that Lily could be swayed to the bad side, but while she thought that Snape wasn't worth Lily's time, she didn't think that it was worth arguing about.

Marlene believed that they'd fall out on their own, and Dorcas seconded that opinion.

I, on the other hand, didn't like not talking about Snape to Lily.

All of us were best friends, undoubtedly. It was hard to choose _one_ girl out of the four that I would name as the one I was closest to because I loved them all in different ways.

The thing about Lily, though, was that though I loved Lily, our personalities tended to clash, as exemplified by our first meetings.

There weren't many things that we argued about. Of course there was always the whole debate about Quidditch, as Lily didn't see the point of Quidditch, but besides that, there was nothing big.

The one thing we always argued about, however, was boys.

Not boys that we fancied, but more as the boys who were our friends, or cousin, in my case.

Conversations about James, Sirius, and Snape usually ended badly, and it took a lot of reminders that Lily Evans was a _brilliant_ best friend to suppress my anger and frustration.

We were an explosive, the two of us together. And one day, the both of us are going to explode and neither of us is going to realize what happened.

_Summer before Third Year: June 30__th__, 1973_

_The Potter Manor_

**As Told By James Potter**

"Prongs, you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't this be a good idea?" I demanded quietly. "Keep quiet now, Moony or else we'll never hear what they're talking about."

I crept up behind the wall that blocked me from the view of the girls who were gathered in our East Wing sitting room with the boys crouched behind me. I resisted the urge to stick my head out to look at the girls.

"… and Honeydukes! It's absolutely amazing!" came the ecstatic voice of Jennifer.

I nearly snorted. Honeydukes was brilliant but it had nothing on Zonko's.

"How come you've been to Honeydukes before?" said the puzzled voice of Macdonald.

"Because Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William took James and I there. And James had some of their chocolate last year for some reason so he gave it to me," Jennifer explained.

Whoops.

I ignored the exasperated looks thrown at me from Padfoot and Moony.

It wasn't my fault that I had to share some of that brilliant chocolate with Jen after we discovered our first secret passageway out of the school!

"Lily, you would like Tomes and Scrolls. It's this specialist bookstore there and it's simply fabulous," came the voice that sounded like Meadowes.

I had to raise my eyebrows at this one. I turned back towards my friends just in time to catch Padfoot mouthing, "Nerdy Evans."

Smirking at him, I nodded with agreement.

It wasn't like being a nerd was _bad_, but that was just so Evans-like to be interested in a bookstore first.

"Is it anything like Flourish and Blotts?" Evans asked excitedly. "I simply _love_ Flourish and Blotts. They have so many selections there!"

"Well it _was_ established in 1454," said McKinnon nonchalantly.

"And you knew this, how?" Jennifer voiced my amazement at McKinnon's knowledge.

I could practically hear McKinnon's scowl as she replied, "My mum told me."

"Oh I miss your mum. She was ever so pleasant the last time I met her," said Macdonald wistfully.

McKinnon replied, "Ah, well, you'll see her soon enough. She wanted to invite you all back over to ours after these two weeks but I'm not sure how well that would work out with your parents."

Evans sighed. "I wish I could but I can't. I've got a math class to take in July."

Blinking furiously, I turned to Moony and asked quietly, "What? What class?"

Moony shushed me, shaking his head as he nodded towards the sitting room.

"A class _again? _Honestly, Lils. You're a _witch_, not a Muggle. You don't _need_ to take so many classes!" Jennifer cried with dismay.

"I'm a _Muggleborn_, Jennifer," Evans said slightly snappishly. "How stupid would I look when people know that I can't do basic Algebra?"

"What's Algebra?" McKinnon asked as confused I was. It sounded foreign, Algebra did. "And who cares? You're taking Arithmancy anyways. That'll just confuse you if you learn the Muggle way."

"Yeah, you bullied all of us to take Arithmancy," Jennifer muttered bad temperedly under her breath.

Once again, I raised my eyebrows. I hadn't realized she had been so unwilling to take Arithmancy.

The last time she talked to me about choosing classes, she was reprimanding me for _not_ taking it that I ended up taking it to appease her.

What the hell?!

I resisted the urge to turn back and tell Moony "I told you so".

Clearly, eavesdropping was a good idea. I learned so many bloody times in the span of ten minutes!

Such as the fact that the girls can never seem to hold one topic for too long.

And the fact that Jennifer didn't want to take Arithmancy.

And that Evans was _really_ a nerd.

"Arithmancy is good for you, Jennifer. It opens a lot of options up for the future," Evans reiterated tiredly.

"I _know_ that. That's why I told James to take it. But I don't _need_ options," Jennifer said nonchalantly.

What! What the hell does that mean?

Meadowes asked, "What do you mean, Jen?"

"I mean that I don't want to work after Hogwarts. Maybe I'll take up a small post at the Daily Prophet but I want to get married," Jennifer answered nonchalantly.

"Why on Earth would you _not_ want a job?" Macdonald asked, her voice laden with confusion.

"I dunno. Aunt Elizabeth never worked and my mum never worked. I'd rather just stay at home and tend to the family," Jennifer answered.

"But don't you want independence?" Evans exclaimed.

"What independence?"

"Like don't you want to be free of your husband at least in _some_ way? If you have a job, then at least you have something that you can control and something that isn't taken over by your husband. I mean, why stay at home and just watch the house while the men do all the work? We're capable, aren't we?" Evans said passionately.

That was the first time that I felt drawn to Evans, weirdly enough.

I never liked the idea of women working. It wasn't an issue of equality, but rather that it would only needlessly tire them out.

Either way, they were thrown with the duties of watching the house or taking care of the family that it would be better if the men just worked and did the hard labour of earning the money for the family.

Mum had once told me that I should never voice these opinions to females unless the-said female was someone close to me, but I had always believed it was true; Jennifer probably believed the same, as she was a Potter and my kin, who had heard me voice this opinion for ages.

However, the way that Evans was voicing _her_ opinions so enigmatically made me feel like I was a stupid git for thinking that women shouldn't have to work.

Hearing her talk like so drawn me into her, and hell, I wasn't even looking at her!

"Of course we're capable, but…" Jennifer said, trailing off.

Then Evans started speaking again, and I nearly lost control of myself. "It's about equality, Jen! Just because men may be physically stronger doesn't mean that they're mentally stronger! Artemisia Lufkin was the first woman Minister for Magic and she was such an accomplished and amazing woman! Why stand in the backgrounds and let men step over us when we can stand up and fight for ourselves? Of course, I want my family to be the priority but I don't think you should rule out the option of working, Jen. You always need to have that option ready, just in case," Evans finished her passionate speech.

I was so overwhelmed by what Evans had said that I missed Jen's next words entirely.

I was too focused on what Evans said and how it was such a wonder that I hadn't recognized her fiery and independence spirit that so resembled my own mum when Mum _really_ gets into it.

Never had I thought that Jennifer was beneath me but it had never registered to me either that Jen _wasn't_ less capable than me at all.

Don't get me wrong; Jen was brilliant and smart and the absolute best cousin I could ask for.

She was a hard worker, logical, sensible, and reasonable. Never had she been harsh unless it was directed at Snivellus.

Jennifer was the best catch ever for any bloke out there.

Likewise with Mum, I had never thought her to be beneath Dad, as I looked up to them equally and I knew of the love and respect that passed between the two of them.

Mum was the first person that I ever came to really admire.

Even Dad, being the Head of the Auror Office and going through the pains of losing his younger brother, couldn't match up to Mum.

Mum was someone that always had a kind word. She hated being harsh and disliked the idea of being detached and cold. Mum didn't like misusing House-Elves and loved to "order" them to rest for as long as possible when they were under less than the best condition.

She also didn't stand for the blood purity rubbish, even if she still held some of the pureblood values such as believing Magical ways were better than Muggle ways, such as transportation.

It had been Mum who had first taught me not to judge people by their blood status but rather by their behaviour and character.

But all the same, it had always been Dad who had been the Head of the House, hadn't he? He made the decisions and he decided what was best for the family.

I knew there were strong women like McGonagall who would kick your arse if needs be and there were women like Madam Pomfrey that were just so admirable.

Yet, no, I couldn't ever say that I had ever had _this_ level of respect for women as I did now hearing Lily Evans talk.

When she voiced her beliefs that women could do anything, I believed her.

I believed her that if they wanted to, they could fly a broomstick to the bloody moon and back without oxygen.

It was almost ridiculous, how in the span of one minute, Lily Evans managed to make me respect women more than the two most important women in my life, Mum and Jennifer.

That had been the first time that I realized how fierce Lily Evans could be when it came to the things she believed in, and it wouldn't be the last time that I was in awe by Lily Evans.

I frankly didn't know much about Lily Evans.

I didn't know her favourite colour, or her favourite food. I didn't know her quirks or her pet peeves. I didn't know much about Lily Evans at all.

But what I _was_ sure at that moment was that Lily Evans was an intellectual, independent, and fiery girl with a strong temper.

She would never be able to be with someone like Snivellus, as Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail, and I had previously joked.

That idea seemed so ludicrous, horrifying, and gut-wrenching at the moment.

Lily Evans would never be able to be with someone like Snivellus who not only didn't appreciate anyone of her heritage and loved the Dark Arts, but also didn't appreciate her independence and intellect.

Many times before had I heard Jennifer complain about how possessive Snivellus was of Lily Evans and how creepy Snivellus was, and never before had I paid it much attention till now.

Snivellus would never do because he wasn't her match or her equal.

It was in that moment after hearing Lily Evans speaks so passionately that I realized that _I_ wanted to be that man with the honour of being able to stand by her side.

_Damn_.

How the hell did I come to fancy Lily Evans?


	4. Third Year

_Third Year: September 1__st__, 1973_

_The Hogwarts Express_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"FUCK!"

"Alice!" Mary said, shocked that the first word out of the mouth of our lovely and charming friend as she threw open our compartment door was not to her liking.

"She's fifteen and obviously experiencing a mental breakdown after Prefect patrolling, Mares. Give her a break," Marlene grinned as Alice and Emmeline took a seat in our compartment, now full with six girls, Lily gone somewhere with Snivellus.

Dorcas looked at Alice sympathetically and asked, "Alice, are you okay?"

"No, she's not. She's in a complete dither because Frank Longbottom's the new fifth year prefect," Emmeline informed us, a wide smile playing at her lips.

Alice groaned loudly again, causing my eyebrows to contract with heavy confusion.

Didn't she bloody fancy him?

"Isn't that good then?" Marlene asked. We obviously shared the same confusion. "You have been fancying him for ages now."

"Yes, of course, but I just made a complete _fool_ out of myself," Alice said sadly as she covered her face with her hands.

"Come now. I'm sure you didn't. What could you have done that was _so_ bad?" Mary asked her coaxingly.

At this, Emmeline burst out into uncharacteristic giggles.

It wasn't that Emmeline was distant or cold, but the girlish behaviour and complete disregard for Alice's obvious embarrassment was out of character for Emmeline.

Emmeline usually was someone who was quieter and reserved, careful to think about other's feelings before acting.

Unless you saw how fierce she was when something she believed in or loved was challenged or threatened, she was the girl that you scratch your head at and wonder why wasn't she put in Hufflepuff for how kind she was.

"Stop laughing, Em! It's not funny," Alice moaned, her voice muffled due to her hands. "I'd like to see how funny it'll be for you when you have a complete mental case of word vomit in front of the bloke you fancy."

"Is that what happened? Word vomit?" I raised my eyebrows at Alice. "What did you say?"

Miserably, Alice brought her hands down. She said in an upset tone, "I blurted out that I didn't expect him to be a Prefect."

"Well that's not too bad," Mary replied, in an attempt to cheer Alice up.

"But it is! I made it sound like he wasn't _good enough_ to be a Prefect and he was obviously offended because he went silent and all distant," Alice wailed.

I bit my lip and sighed. Reaching across Dorcas, I patted her back sympathetically.

Alice had been fancying Frank Longbottom for ages. The first time that she told me and the other girls that she was fancying him was after Christmas break of last year.

It had come out of nowhere, but from what I've seen of Alice around Frank, she was a complete mess.

Alice was as bad as me when it came to speaking coherently and being herself around the object of her interests.

Emmeline sobered up enough to set her face into a best-friend-like expression.

She said in a very convincing voice, "Honestly, Alice. Don't worry so much over it. Thinking logically, we all would have thought that Jacob Robinette was going to become Prefect, wasn't he? Because his older brother was and Jacob's that sort of bloke you'd expect to become Prefect. Either way, Frank Longbottom isn't going to put you on his black list because you accidentally voiced the amazement that someone got prefect over Jacob Robinette."

"Wait, why's Jacob Robinette more likely to become a prefect?" I asked in confusion.

I knew nothing about Jacob Robinette, despite being completely infatuated with his brother earlier in my Hogwarts' career.

All I knew of him was that he was one of Frank's roommates.

"Jacob Robinette signed up for Transfiguration tutoring with McGonagall, and from what I know, he has never earned detention before nor does he ever break the school rules," Dorcas informed us.

I blinked at her in shock. "How do you know?"

At this, Dorcas blushed slightly. All of us regarded her with suspicion as she said as nonchalantly as she could, "I just overheard McGonagall and Sprout talking."

"Dorcas," Marlene said slowly, her eyes fixed on Dorcas. "Do you fancy him?"

Immediately, all of us straightened up; this was a new development.

Dorcas shook her head and replied in a rather sincere tone, "Of course not. He's good looking, yes, but no. I definitely don't fancy Jacob Robinette."

Mary sighed despondently. "There's just something about the Robinette brothers, isn't there?"

"Something as in they're all just _so_ good looking?" I grinned at Mary.

"No, don't tell me you're back to fancying Wayne, are you?" Alice asked concernedly.

I reassured her, "Definitely not. It's hopeless anyways. But you can't deny that he is one very good looking bloke."

"And I think Jacob's just as fit as his brother," Marlene added.

At Marlene's words, Emmeline wrinkled her nose. "I don't know. Wayne's not bad, of course. But Jacob seems okay. I don't really have an opinion about him."

Though I had to agree with Emmeline on not having an opinion about Jacob Robinette, I couldn't help but notice how Dorcas's eyes had immediately snapped towards Emmeline and how she shifted slightly uncomfortably when Em mentioned she had no opinion of Jacob.

"Maybe you just need to get to know him," Dorcas suggested.

"Well there's not really any point of getting to know him, though," Emmeline pointed out with a shrug.

Dorcas deflated slightly and sat back into her seat, letting the conversation freely flow from there.

Yes, there was definitely something that Dorcas knew that she wasn't telling us.

Perhaps Lily would be able to figure it out.

_Third Year: September 10__th__, 1973_

_A random corridor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"I don't get what the big deal is," Mary frowned. "So Dorcas knows something that we don't. Does it really matter?"

"Of course not. She's free to have her own secrets, isn't she? But I'm just really curious," I pouted, slightly upset that Mary also did not seem to think that whatever Dorcas wasn't telling us was that important at all.

Mary threw her arms around me and said, "Sometimes, Jen, I think you're too inquisitive for your own good."

"What? What does that mean?" I asked in confusion.

Wasn't inquisitiveness supposed to be hailed, rather than derailed? That was what Aunt Elizabeth had always told me.

Though, she had been a Ravenclaw…

"I mean that maybe these things are better if you just leave them be. No need to try to over think," Mary explained gently. "If you over think, then sometimes the situation just gets worse."

I sighed heavily. Mary had a point with the whole "over thinking".

"Alright then… if you insist then I'm not going to bother to pry any further. But you're not going to deny that there _is_ something that she's hiding, are you?"

"No, I don't suppose I will. It does seem suspicious these days because maybe Dorcas wants Emmeline to fancy Jacob but I can't seem of a plausible reason why, unless he fancies _her_. But then again, you and I know that Dorcas isn't someone to meddle in other people's love life," Mary said slowly as the two of us reached the Gryffindor tower.

Dorcas hated interfering in matters such as these; she had made it known from the beginning when we were discussing the opposite sex that she didn't believe in forcing love to happen.

In Dorcas's eyes, if it was meant to be, then it would happen on its own.

"Venomous Tentacula," I said to the Fat Lady who nodded and swung open for us.

I went to take a step inside before realizing that Mary had stopped where she was.

Looking back, I found that Mary was rummaging through her book bag, in search for something.

"What are you looking for?" I asked curiously.

"I need to run down to the library," Mary said apologetically. "There was a book I wanted to check out for some extra reading. You don't mind being alone for a bit do you? I'll be right back."

The two of us had been alone, as Dorcas and Marlene were at Muggles Studies and Lily was at Divination, a class that she hated and regretted taking.

I shook my head. "I can handle being alone for fifteen minutes. I'll see you later then?"

Mary shot me a grin before speeding down the corridor towards the library.

Fate worked in funny ways.

It was because of Mary's own words earlier, warning me not to over think every situation that I didn't think it funny when Mary hadn't returned from the library an hour later.

Of course I _had_ been worried but Mary's words had come back into my head and I settled with the reasonable assumption that Mary was caught up at the library, most likely reading whatever book was grabbing her latest interest.

Though Lily was the one among us girls that we considered to be "the nerd", Mary loved books. The library was the mother ship for Lily and Mary, as Dorcas, Marlene, and I liked to joke.

If in doubt of Lily and Mary's whereabouts, check the library first.

The irony that both Lily and Mary were also Muggleborns yet they were ones who were the most dedicated towards learning Magic did not fail to grasp our attention.

By the time that Dorcas, Marlene, and Lily were back from class, Mary was the furthest thing from my mind as Dorcas and Marlene had brought news of gossip.

"No…" I breathed, shocked beyond belief. "No. _Bloody_. Way."

Marlene nodded grimly. "Yes way. Dorcas and I overheard Hazel Abrams and Caroline Pace talk about it in Muggle Studies. Abrams was announcing to the whole class that she got a bloody date for Hogsmeade."

"She's so horrible! How on Earth could someone that horrible get a date for her _first_ Hogsmeade trip _this_ soon? The notice hadn't even been posted up for more than two days!" Lily shook her head disapprovingly.

"I'm not sure about that Lils. Pace is just as bad as Abrams. Remember how the two of them were all over Wayne last year after the Ravenclaw game?" I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

It had irked me beyond belief, after Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup last year, to see Pace and Abrams flirt with Wayne.

But on the upside, seeing how friendly Wayne was to someone even as horrible as Pace and Abrams made me realize that Wayne's friendliness wasn't ever going to get anywhere further than just that: _friendliness. _

Dorcas rolled her eyes. "I remember that, alright. Their life goal is to become popular with a good looking boyfriend. I'm surprised that neither of them has made the move to ask James or Sirius yet."

"Potter and Black? Really?" Lily raised her eyebrows condescendingly.

Deciding to argue with Lily another time, I ignored her and said to Dorcas, "Nope they already had. James told me yesterday at dinner that Abrams and Pace asked them to Hogsmeade the day that the notice was posted up. Greta Catchlove asked Remus as well but he turned her down."

"Greta Catchlove? With _Remus_?" Marlene giggled. "That's like pairing Gilderoy Lockhart with Donna Midgen."

The three of us dissolved into mad giggles at the thought.

Gilderoy Lockhart was a good looking bloke in Alice and Emmeline's year with absolutely no brains whatsoever.

On the other hand, Donna Midgen was one of the most unfortunate looking people I've ever encountered, despite being incredibly smart and very nice of a girl.

The only difference between Donna Midgen and Greta Catchlove was that Catchlove wasn't nearly kind as Donna, seeing as Catchlove was friends with Abrams and Pace.

The other difference was that whereas Gilderoy Lockhart failed in all subject except perhaps Charms, Remus was extremely smart and gifted in many subjects and arts.

"Oh Merlin, thank Godric that Remus turned her down!" Dorcas said after all of us collected ourselves. "Can you _imagine_ if he had said yes? Those three wouldn't be able to shut up."

I shuddered at the thought. "But what justice in the world is there if _Greta Catchlove_ is able to get a date before any of us?"

"Very conceited there, Jen," Marlene teased, giving me a sleazy wink.

I threw the throw pillow from the sofa we were currently occupying in the Common Room at Marlene and stuck my tongue out.

"I didn't mean it like _that_. Look, Lils, you're top of the class and a complete genius. Far above Abrams. Dorcas, you and Mary are _so_ much nicer than _Catchlove_, and Marls, you're ten times more beautiful than Pace. Those three shouldn't get dates before you girls get dates," I told them generously and sincerely.

The three of them shot me beaming and grateful smiles as Lily replied, "Thanks, Jen. But really, we don't need dates. We have each other, don't we?"

"Of course we do. And we're better than Abrams who went around asking every single bloke until Joffrey Newton agreed to go with her," I nodded.

"Abrams is going with Newton to Hogsmeade?" a new voice said in the conversation.

I whipped my head around and saw Sirius and Remus hovering over me.

"Yeah she is," Marlene answered distastefully. "Abrams was boasting about it in Muggles Studies."

"Good thing you rejected her, Padfoot," Remus said quietly, nudging his friend. My keen eyes immediately snapped towards Sirius, regarding him carefully.

Thankfully, Sirius snorted with derision, and I sighed with relief. I had been afraid of the opposite.

He scoffed, "Of course I was going to reject her. I'm not about to spend my first official Hogsmeade trip with _Abrams_."

"Why does it sound like you've been on unofficial trips before?" I muttered with an eye roll.

"Because we-"

Sirius had started talking but Lily cut through his words sharply, "Can you get on with it Black? Is there any reason why you and Lupin are bothering us?"

Sirius scowled heavily at Lily. He eyed her in a way that I could only conclude as annoyed before nudging Remus sharply in the sides.

"Yeah, we're looking for Mary," Remus said, looking around at all of us. "I have the book she wanted to borrow."

It was then that it occurred to me that I hadn't seen Mary in the past hour, despite her reassurance that she'd be right back.

"She told me when all of you were gone at class that she was going to the library to grab a book she wanted for light reading. I hadn't seen her since then but I figured that she was there," I told Remus helpfully.

To my utter bewilderment, he shook his head. "We just checked there. We went there first to look for her but Madame Price said that she hadn't only been in there for five minutes an hour ago before promptly leaving."

At Remus's words, I frowned heavily.

"Are you sure? You're positive she's not there?" Lily asked anxiously. Her eyes began darting all around the Common Room, as if she could spot Mary hiding in some obscure corner of the Common Room.

"Nope. Padfoot and I went around the whole library to check too in case she had slipped in without Madam Price noticing," Remus replied. "We found Carol Dowell and Beverly Borris as we were walking back from the library and neither of them had seen her either."

_Well then_…

"That's not like Mary to be missing for an hour without telling us," Dorcas said. She twisted her hair nervously, her expression showing her deep in thought.

I was unsettled too. I didn't think that anything bad _had_ happened to Mary, but it was just so uncharacteristic of Mary to be missing.

My worst fear was that she had ran into some Slytherins who gave her a hard time.

The other day in Defence, Snivellus and his friends had been jeering at Mary for being a Muggleborn, an action that had rendered Lily deeply upset.

She still hadn't confided in us the details of the conversation that occurred after class.

"Maybe she's with some bloke and forgot to tell you guys," Sirius shrugged, completely unworried.

"She's not snogging some bloke in a broom cupboard if that's what you're insinuating, Black," Lily snapped.

Sirius scowled again at Lily and held his hands up. "Alright, alright. I'm just suggesting some possibilities as to why your best friend has been missing for the past hour."

The six of us fell into a contemplative silence, each of us racking our minds for possibilities of where Mary could be.

I ran through the entire conversation I had with Mary in my mind once again.

The two of us had been walking back from Herbology whilst the others shot off to their other classes.

She hadn't mentioned anything unusual or acted differently during Herbology, as all of us had spent the entire class discussing Hogsmeade and the possibility of landing dates.

Usually, it was fairly easy to notice when Mary was unsettled or upset. Mary was an open book to us, in terms of her emotions.

It was after Herbology that I once again brought up the subject of Dorcas and Jacob Robinette after Dorcas and Marlene had went off to Muggles Studies, which brought me back to a full circle.

Before my mind could come up with any more feeble attempts at figuring out where on Earth Mary could be if she wasn't at the library or with us, or with Carol and Beverly, all of our attention was diverted.

Peter, out of breath and nearly collapsing, had fell through the Portrait Hole, gasping and mumbling incoherent sentences to us.

"Pete, speak English," Sirius said exasperatedly as Peter finally made his way to us, still spluttering and sounding like he was attempting to speak underwater.

Wheezing, Peter managed to get out, "Mary… attacked… Hospital Wing…"

"WHAT?!"

All six of us jumped up in surprise, shrieking in unison.

I couldn't have gotten to the Hospital Wing quicker in my life than at that moment.

By the time that all of us had reached the Hospital Wing, hysterical thoughts were running through my head.

Wild thoughts of potential kidnap and completely impossible ideas of Voldemort apparating onto Hogwarts' campus appeared into my head, and all that I needed was to make sure that Mary was okay.

"MARY!" Marlene hollered loudly as the seven of us, Peter trailing behind us, looking like he was about to _die_ from exhaustion flew into the Hospital Wing.

"Ms. McKinnon!" Madam Pomfrey said furiously as she quickly bustled towards us from behind a closed curtain. "This is a Hospital Wing, not a playground. All of you, _out_!"

"We have to see Mary," Lily said breathlessly, her face red from running and her eyes already blotchy with tears. "We heard from Peter that she had been attacked."

"Mr. Potter is already fretting by Ms. Macdonald's bedside and there are only six visitors allowed at a time!"

But Madam Pomfrey's words were lost as all of us clamoured past her, pushing and shoving each other as Sirius ripped open the curtain that hid Mary's bed.

"Mary…" I gasped with shock as my eyes rested on my friend.

Mary looked like she had nearly been mauled by a bear. Her brown hair was a complete mess and looking like it was chopped weirdly in places, and her face and arms were full of scratches and cuts.

"What happened?" Remus asked James, horrified.

My eyes didn't leave Mary as my cousin answered hollowly, "I dunno. I came in with Pete and we found Dumbledore in here with McGonagall and Hagrid. Dumbledore didn't tell me anything but just told me to stay and told Peter to let you guys know Mary's been attacked. Madam Pomfrey won't tell me anything."

"And rightly so!" Madam Pomfrey snapped, coming over looking supremely annoyed. "Ms. Macdonald needs rest! Out!"

"We're not even being loud!" I argued, outraged at the thought of leaving. After Marlene's initial outburst, we had barely been talking.

Not to mention there was no other patients in here besides Mary.

Obviously, that hadn't been the right thing to say as Pomfrey looked more furious.

Luckily for us, Lily stepped in with her brilliant diplomatic skills. "Please Madam Pomfrey. Let us stay for five more minutes and we'll all leave."

Pomfrey glared at all of us but finally nodded, resigned. "Five minutes. No more than that."

Without another word, she bustled away, into her office.

Nudging James up off the chair he had been occupying, I sat down, feeling angry at myself as I stared at Mary.

Vaguely, I could hear noises of one of my friends crying, most likely Lily, and Sirius was running a frustrated hand through his hair, out of the corner of my eyes.

None of us spoke, conflicted and upset thoughts running through each of our minds silently.

I wasn't sure what to think and what to believe. All I knew was that I wanted to find Dumbledore and ask him exactly what happened.

And above all, I wanted Mary to wake up and tell us herself how she came to be in this state.

Even after five prompt minutes when Madam Pomfrey shooed all of us out with the reassurance that Mary would be just fine, I didn't feel any more relieved by her words.

_Third Year: September 11__th__, 1973_

_Charms Class_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

The only downside to Charms was that we shared it with the Slytherins.

And after Mary's attack the previous day, none of us looked forward to Charms, even if it _was _my favourite class.

"If the Slytherins make _one_ comment…" I growled menacingly as us girls trooped into the practically empty classroom. We were early, as usual thanks to Lily and her need to be five to ten minutes early to every class.

The entire Gryffindor tower had been in a buzz about what happened to Mary.

James and the other boys believed it was the Slytherins. Alice and Emmeline believed it was the Slytherins. Frank Longbottom and his friends believed it was the Slytherins. Wayne Robinette and his friends believed it was the Slytherins.

All in all, nothing could really be concluded, as Dumbledore had merely requested during dinner for us not to swap rumours (as if it was possible at _Hogwarts _not to swap rumours…) and none of the staff, not even Hagrid, would spill any details.

"If the Slytherins make one comment, then you know everyone will be down their throats," Dorcas muttered as we settled ourselves at our usual spots near Professor Flitwick who had squeaked a cheerful hello to us.

Professor Flitwick was by far my favourite professor. There were times that I rued not being in Ravenclaw because it would have been a joy to have Flitwick as my Head of House.

McGonagall was brilliant, of course, but Flitwick just had that aura of joy circling about him that just made you think that, for once, class might not be so bad.

Taking her quill, parchment, and textbook from her book bag, Lily said quietly, "I hope some of those Slytherins won't be stupid enough to taunt us about Mary. Goodness knows what Potter and Black would do if they did."

My eyes flickered to Lily in mild shock.

It was the first time she had willingly brought up the subject of James and Sirius, aside from the times she stormed into the dorm in a complete dither because one of them, once again, had a jinxing/hexing row with Snape.

"I'm surprised that James and Sirius didn't hex them yesterday at dinner. I almost expected some sort of prank from them," Marlene commented, reclining in her chair with ease.

The corners of my mouth perked up into a small smirk. "Oh they have something planned, alright. Dumbledore won't say but it had to be one of the Slytherins who did that to Mary. James told me at breakfast that he and the other boys spent nearly the entire night planning the prank," I informed them.

Lily's eyes flattened into disapproval. "You did tell them not to do it, didn't you, Jen?"

"Why on _Earth_ would she do that, Lils?" Marlene asked, horrified at the thought.

I nearly snorted but let Lily answer before I put in my own thoughts.

"Because as much as I agree that a Slytherin were probably involved somehow, pranking is _not_ the answer!" Lily insisted.

Her green eyes flashed indignantly. However, I had learned to read Lily's eyes enough to be able to spot the sincerity behind the indignance.

Sighing, I said, "Lils, I know that you don't think it's the way to go. But come on, we haven't heard that any Slytherins ever getting properly punished for what they're doing around the school! Malfoy and Travers last year didn't get any punishment other than a load of detentions and a serious dressing down from Dumbledore. They're not being punished enough. The whole lot of them need a good sharp tap to the head."

"You can't honestly think that all Slytherins are bad," Lily threw me an exasperated look.

I didn't answer, knowing that my answer wouldn't please Lily one bit.

Frankly, I knew only one Slytherin who wasn't bad and that was Andromeda. All of the other Slytherins in my knowledge were as terrible as can be.

We chattered mindlessly for a few more minutes, trying to draw our attention away from our constant worries for Mary and trying not to notice the thick air of tension that was rising more and more with even the most discreet mention of Lily's Slytherin friend.

The class slowly filled up, most of the students wandering in a minute before the bell was about to ring, signalling the beginning of class.

None of us missed the sneer that the Slytherins threw at us as they settled themselves on the opposite side of the room.

To my great and utter surprise, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had strolled in right before the bell rang. Usually, they were here at the last minute, especially Charms class as Flitwick found James and Sirius geniuses and Remus a very responsible student.

"Alright, settle down please!" Flitwick squeaked, perched on top a large pile of books as he was so tiny. "Today, we'll be continuing Cheering Charms! I hope we all remembered the lecture from last class…"

I tuned out Flitwick's lecture, having already practiced the Cheering Charms last night with the other girls in an attempt to lighten ourselves up about Mary.

I didn't miss how fitting the Cheering Charms was in the current situation.

What I did do, instead of listening to Flitwick review before he set us off for practicing for the rest of class, was glare at the Slytherins.

Like all Houses, there were a handful of students among the Slytherins that stood out. All of them were twats and gits, of course, but some were worse than others.

For example, Snape, Emeric Avery, Marcus Mulciber, and Magnus Selwyn were among the worst of the Slytherin boys in our year.

Snape knew (and used) more dark curses than anyone, even as a first year. Frequently, he was teaching them to the others, all of whom revelled in hurting others in the Darkest of ways. I could already easily predict that all four boys were well on their way to becoming Death Eaters.

As for girls, there weren't any worse than Eliana Rosier, Marcella Selwyn, and Chrysantha Yaxley.

The worst part of those girls was that it wasn't like they were stupid or they were unfortunate looking. They were actually fairly smart much to our dismay and not without good looks, even _further_ to our dismay.

Eliana Rosier had long, straight blonde hair with blue eyes darker than mine. Had she not been a detestable Slytherin and had she not been constantly wearing the expression that we were all beneath her, I would have considered her pretty. She certainly had the looks, even if she never smiled or changed her expression.

On the other hand, Marcella Selwyn had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She smirked way too much in comparison to Eliana Rosier, who did nothing but grimace all of the time. If I felt generous and if I ignored how horrible she was, then she would appear more on the "sexy" side of the spectrum.

Chrysantha Yaxley was someone that smiled too much. But as opposed to someone like Acacia Thornberry from Hufflepuff who was genuinely nice to everyone, Chrysantha Yaxley's smile suggested that she was a complete bitch, along with her frustratingly, always perfect curly blonde hair.

Out of all of the girls, I wasn't sure who I detested the most.

Eliana was an ice queen, too cold to be bothered with. Marcella had the bark but not the bite. Chrysantha was discreetly very horrible, but she rarely did involve herself with arguments.

Though all of them were equally horrible in my books, Marcella Selwyn was currently winning the race at the moment.

She was smirking at me in such a way that her expression screamed of her delight of what happened to Mary.

"Hey, we're supposed to be practicing now," Lily said softly. Her words jolted me out of the glaring contest I was holding with Marcella Selwyn and I turned to Lily with an ugly expression.

"Did you see Selwyn?"

"You mean did I see that those three were looking irritably triumphant and you, Marlene, and Dorcas were shooting eye daggers at them? Yes, I did." Lily answered testily.

I frowned at her. "What's gotten you so stroppy?"

"It's not _Snivellus_, is it?" Marlene asked from the other side of Lily with a roll of her eyes. "I saw him."

Lily opened her mouth, probably to reprimand Marlene for her use of the nickname everyone fondly dubs him as, but I got there first.

"What was he doing?" I asked, furious with myself for not noticing due to The Bitches.

"He and James were practicing killing each other silently," Dorcas informed me, glancing around her, most likely to make sure Flitwick wasn't around to notice us talking.

I glanced over to James, noticing that he was indeed looking remarkably angry as he shot daggers across the classroom.

His jaws were clenched tight, his hands balled up into a fist, and he was completely ignoring Remus, who was talking to him in a low voice.

The rest of the lesson wasn't any better.

No open taunts had been thrown through the majority of the class, but the tension was obvious. I was surprised that no one had gotten killed halfway through the lesson.

The worst had come, however, at the end of class, when Flitwick had been temporarily called away by Filch because of "urgent matters that couldn't wait till the end of class."

I hadn't really known what Flitwick was thinking, leaving class and announcing to everyone that Lily was in charge until he gets back.

The moment that Flitwick flitted out of the classroom, Avery said loudly, "I don't think I like the idea of a Mudblood having superiority over me."

The bubble that I had been holding inside me finally burst.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I immediately shrieked, jumping up in my chair with indignation and pointing my wand at Selwyn.

I wasn't the only one who had reaction to Avery's words.

Marlene had practically launched herself from her seat, ready to jump over the table and claw his eyes out, only to be held back by Lily who had an unreadable expression.

Dorcas had stood up as well, a furious and bloody dangerous expression alight.

I hadn't ever seen Dorcas this angry before, and let me tell you. It wasn't a pleasant sight. Unconsciously, it occurred to me then that Dorcas was not someone to be messed with.

But none of our reaction beat James's reaction to Avery's filthy mouth.

Before any one of us could even blink, a flash of light appeared from the end of James's wand.

Almost immediately, enlarged snot began shooting out of Avery's nose, transforming itself with tiny wings, and attacking Avery's face in the most disgusting manner.

"Say that one more time Avery and you'll wish you've never been born," James threatened, his voice sounding, for the first time in his life, scarily angry.

"Shut up Potter. I can't believe you're standing up for a Mudblood like _Evans,_" Marcella Selwyn scoffed. "And here I was thinking you had better standards than that."

I couldn't contain myself any further. After an entire hour of glaring and smirking, the final insult to both James _and_ Lily was my final undoing.

All thoughts of using magic disappeared from my head as I let out a furious scream and threw myself over the table, just quickly enough that Dorcas's outstretched arms missed me.

Without missing a beat, I punched Marcella Selwyn straight across the face.

"JENNIFER!" a shocked voice, most likely from Lily, came but I ignored it.

I balled up my other hand into a fist, but right as I swung to punch her again, another hand stopped me, gripping my fist tightly.

Snapping my head away from Marcella Selwyn, I turned to glare at her bloody cousin, Magnus Selwyn.

"Let go of me, Selwyn," I growled, trying in vain to release myself from his grasp.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Marcella torn between two emotions: looking extremely furious at me and looking relieved that her cousin was standing up for her.

Selwyn's jaws were clenched tightly as he glared down at me. "Why? So you can punch Marcy again? I don't think so."

"Your pathetic excuse of a cousin deserves it. I'll punch her a thousand times over if she dares makes one more insult to Lily, _or_ Mary," I spat out.

Selwyn tightened his grip on me as his dark brown eyes shot me a loathing glare. He retorted in a contemptuous voice, "You're a disgrace to the name of wizards, Potter."

The impact of his words got to me as I momentarily paused.

For the first time in my life, I truly realized how _disgusting_ I found their behaviour, thinking that they were better than everyone else because they were purebloods.

I had long known that the blood purity stance was all rubbish, but now that it had gotten personal, I realized that I would have liked nothing more than to punch all of the Slytherins in the face again.

Giving up trying to release my hand from Selwyn's stone-hard grip, I turned to face the rest of the Slytherins with a dirty look.

"You think that being a pureblood makes you so _fucking_ royal. You think that just because Lily and Mary came from Muggle backgrounds that they're beneath you. Well here's a news flash, _idiots_, Lily and Mary are a hundred times smarter, kinder, and a better person than all of you stupid _shits_ combined," I breathed heavily. I turned back to Selwyn and said with as much hatred as I could conjure, "I'm not a disgrace to Wizards. I'm ashamed to call myself a pureblood because it means being associated with the likes of _you_."

Fate worked in interesting ways, as I would later discover when I looked back upon this particular experience.

I couldn't say that I was ever fated to become a Gryffindor.

That decision was entirely up to me when I was sitting there on that stool and arguing against the Sorting Hat who wanted to place me in Ravenclaw, or at least Slytherin.

But since I had made the decision myself to become a Gryffindor, I liked to believe that I was fated to become a good Gryffindor.

The same fate, the one that deemed me to become a good Gryffindor, had most likely also determined the destiny for Magnus Selwyn at that particular moment, though I couldn't ever imagine that I was important enough to Magnus Selwyn to guess that I unknowingly pushed him down to the path to become a Death Eater.

The moment the final sentence had completely let my lips and another quick moment had settled for the Slytherins to process through their thick skulls just exactly what I had said, it had happened.

I didn't have a chance to blink or even defend myself when Magnus Selwyn's large, callous hands struck me across my face, _hard_.

His action shocked the entire class into silence as my heart pounded and my mind worked furiously hard to process what the hell just happened.

Yes, I had just punched Marcella Selwyn in the face for calling Lily the M-word and for telling James that he didn't have any standards.

Yes, Magnus Selwyn had just slapped me _hard_ on the face after telling him that being a pureblood didn't put him above anyone else and that I was ashamed to be a pureblood if it meant being associated with him.

Even though I was also in the fault for being violent, my eyes started welling up with a few tears at his blow, right at the moment that James, Sirius, and the rest of the Gryffindors completely lost it.

"SELWYN YOU BLOODY BASTARD!" James roared furiously as he and Sirius were by my side as quick as a flash.

In one sharp tug, Sirius pulled my hand out of Selwyn's grip and all but pushed me behind him while James looked beyond livid.

"You _bastard_," James growled, raising his wand menacingly. Selwyn, who was giving off the distinct impression that he was trying to be braver than he was feeling, just merely glared back.

James didn't get the chance to do whatever it was that he would have loved to do to Selwyn as another flash of light erupted from the Gryffindor side of the room and shot towards Selwyn, who was instantly bald.

I spun around in shock to see Lily with her wand out, furious expression and everything.

"You touch my best friend again and I will remove more than just hair," Lily threatened dangerously, her eyes flashing angrily.

Mulciber, who had been keeping relatively quiet, spat out in contempt, "Keep your threats to yourself, Mudblood. Unless you want to go the same way as your other Mudblood friend Macdonald. She didn't seem to handle my Imperius curse well, did she?"

In that moment, the air was sucked out of the lungs of all the Gryffindors who did a simultaneous sharp gasp as his words.

I went absolutely numb as I stared with a mixture of disbelief and pure anger at the monster that went by the name of Marcus Mulciber.

_Third Year: September 17__th__, 1973_

_Gryffindor Tower: 3__rd__ year Girls' Dormitory #1_

**As Told By Mary Macdonald**

By the time that I was finally allowed to leave the Hospital Wing after gaining consciousness, it seemed like Gryffindor and Slytherin had openly declared war against each other.

I couldn't even pay attention to how worried Lily, Dorcas, Marlene, and Jennifer were because of how much I had missed, and it wasn't all class work that I was worried about.

The girls had informed me of what had happened in Charms, and it wasn't any secret by now that several Gryffindors and Slytherins had landed themselves in the Hospital Wing because of duels in the corridors.

There was even a rumour floating around that Snape had gone down through some sort of tunnel by the Whomping Willow, only to have James Potter save him from something horrible down there.

Another puzzling occurrence was James, Remus, and Peter's coldness towards Sirius. Though it disappeared eventually after a few days, wild rumours were being swapped, each as unlikely as the other.

The rumour regarding Snape was confirmed by Lily and Jennifer, both of whom knew for a fact that James had saved Snape from whatever it was down near the Whomping Willow.

Lily had thought Snape was remarkably ungrateful towards James for saving him.

It was the first (and probably the last time) that Lily would defend James Potter against Severus Snape, and Jennifer had been stunned to silence.

However, not even Jennifer could have figured out what had possibly led the tightest knit of friends that I've seen, perhaps aside from ourselves, to be arguing.

None of these really mattered, however, in retrospect to the silent horrors that plagued me at night when the girls were all soundly asleep.

I wasn't sure any of them really noticed, but I couldn't blame them.

Dorcas seemed more and more occupied with Jacob Robinette and Emmeline these days, and I couldn't help but wonder whether I had been wrong when I told Jennifer that it was wrong to pry.

On the other hand, Jennifer was far too occupied trying to figure out what had happened between James and his friends.

Her curiosity was unrivalled, and it was the first time that I had seen someone so eager to know every detail. It was times like this that made me wonder why Jennifer hadn't been put in Ravenclaw.

I supposed that Marlene and Lily should have noticed, but, as great of a friend as Marlene as, she hardly notices details or the smaller things that wouldn't be able to escape a keen eye.

Lily would have been my most obvious guess, if one of the girls suspected what was going through my mind.

However, it was hard for me to miss that something had quite obviously happened in the revolutionary conversation between herself and Snape when she took James Potter's side against Severus Snape's.

To someone like Jennifer, it would be irritating that we knew next to nothing about their friendship aside from the fact that they had been childhood friends.

To me, however, and perhaps to Dorcas as well, Lily's secrecy seemed reasonable.

There _were_ things that I felt needed to be kept a secret, and Dorcas's involvement with Jacob Robinette and Emmeline was enough to tell me she had her own secret as well.

Marlene just preferred not to dwell on the fact that Lily was friends with someone like Snape.

In some ways, I was almost grateful that Lily didn't notice what horrible thoughts were running through my head.

Waking up from after Mulciber's attack on me and realizing what had happened was one of the worst feelings ever.

No words could accurately describe how useless I felt at that moment.

Mulciber wasn't the brightest crayon in the box but it didn't mean that he was incapable.

His capability for the Dark Arts was shocking, as we had all really believed that Snape was the one who was the master of the Dark Arts, at least amongst the Third Year Slytherins.

It wasn't so much the attack that had shaken me up. Of course I now felt a newfound hatred towards Mulciber and the Dark Arts, particularly the Imperius Curse, but truth of the matter was that it had never been a secret that Mulciber was a complete git.

The taunting that I had endured in the short duration that I had been out of the Hospital Wing was enough to let me know that I was in real danger.

Muggleborns were the target of everyone who sympathized with Voldemort's pureblood regime.

Lily obviously would understand, seeing as she was a Muggleborn herself. The problem is that Lily and I are opposites.

Despite the fact that Severus Snape wasn't a reliable friend to have and he wasn't a decent person in any way, Lily still had a Slytherin friend. Furthermore, Lily had no trouble standing up for herself.

I hadn't missed the way that she liked to hex James and Sirius behind Jennifer's back, whenever Jennifer or a staff member wasn't watching.

James and Sirius obviously aren't an indication of War behaviour, but standing up for herself against the likes of Eliana Rosier, Marcella Selwyn, Chrysantha Yaxley, and all of the other Slytherin boys was.

Lily spoke her mind, and everyone knew that Lily would never be forced to do something she dislikes, nor would she sit back and watch something that makes her uncomfortable happen without a comment.

The downside to this was that Lily could be irrational when her anger and slightly quick temper clouded her reasoning, something that I observed happened quite a lot around James Potter.

The truth was that I wanted to be more like Lily.

There was never a single doubt in my mind that Lily was a Muggleborn who was going to survive this War.

After the incident with Mulciber, there were many doubts in my mind whether _I_ could survive this War.

Reacting so poorly to a mediocre Dark wizard such as Mulciber, who was my own age incidentally, surely must mean that I wasn't showing the capability of survival.

The thought of not lasting through this dark period frightened me.

Compared to myself, Jennifer, Dorcas, and Marlene had nothing to worry about, seeing as they were purebloods. They were quite safe behind the safety bars of their family history.

Even though being a pureblood does not automatically mean survival, being a pureblood greatly increased one's chances.

I knew deep down, however, that my three pureblood friends weren't exactly safe either. My knowledge doesn't extend to the ways of the Wizarding pureblood society, but I knew enough to understand that the Potters, Meadowes, and McKinnons were in dangerous waters with families such as the Malfoys, Lestranges, and the Blacks.

It didn't matter, though, whether my friends' blood status would save them.

All four of them were infinitely more courageous and braver than I was, and it was something I wanted to rectify.

We were only Third Years, meaning that we meant quite little to perhaps the Sixth or Seventh years. They obviously could care less about us Third Year girls.

On the other hand, I could already see a precedence occurring among my friends, even if they were completely oblivious to it themselves.

Similarly, Dorcas was slowly earning the reputation as someone you didn't want to cross, particularly after the recent War waged between the Gryffindors and Slytherins.

There was something about her silent anger that was unsettling.

Dorcas was also as kind as Lily and never quick to judge, preferring to sit back and think things out before acting. The exception to Dorcas's rule of kindness was Slytherins. Furthermore, it would be hard to find her a rival in her intelligence.

Whereas Lily was known to be the ones that knew the answers to the teachers' questions, Dorcas had a more internal intelligence, the type that, according to our Defence professor this year, was the type that the Auror Office looked for.

She could also master the most difficult of spells in her sleep. Dorcas was someone that you would expect to grow to be a very powerful Witch.

Marlene was somewhat trickier to define.

Apparently, the McKinnons were a remarkably powerful family, and several of Marlene's cousins and siblings were already making their mark on the Wizarding world, as Marlene didn't like to go into too much detail about.

Marlene was one of the McKinnons. She was that pretty girl everyone in the female population wanted to be. Marlene had a no nonsense attitude and a very straightforward personality that attracted girls and boys alike.

Of course, Marlene was known among us girls to be quite unbothered with details when it didn't concern her.

Jennifer didn't shrink into the background either, even if she was the one out of all of my friends that might have a more difficult time earning her own personal identity among our peers.

Being known as James Potter's cousin probably would not do much for her own personal sense of self but that title in it of itself spoke millions.

James Potter had already proved himself to be a fiercely loyal friend, as demonstrated by his defending Peter Pettigrew against others. His brilliance in the classroom was to be noted, and his bravery of saving Snape already was a huge plus for his character.

Jennifer _was_ everything that James was, even if they had their differences, the most obvious one being Jennifer's sensibility and James's _lack_ of sensibility at times.

She was also the only person, Dumbledore aside, that could control James and his friends.

James Potter aside, Jennifer was outgoing and opinionated.

Whereas Lily didn't have a problem stating her beliefs but liked to give people the benefit of the doubt, Jennifer made her opinions known from the beginning and trusted people when they had earned it.

The only deviation from Jennifer's general personality was her regard towards James's troublemaking, in which she liked to turn a blind eye at times.

This, however, I credit to the death of her parents and Jennifer's subsequent life with James and his parents.

In the midst of such brilliantly coloured friends, I could feel my personal sense of importance and self-worth almost diminishing.

Mulciber's attack was probably the final nail in the coffin of destroyed self-esteem.

What was I? I was studious, but I wasn't as smart as Dorcas. I was kind, but I wasn't as kind as Lily. I _wasn't_ as pretty as Marlene, and I _wasn't_ as outgoing as Jennifer.

It seemed as though in every group of friends, every person has their own role. Someone was smart, someone was the flirt, someone was carefree, and someone was nice.

And there was always someone that melted into the background, usually forgotten.

I hated thinking that I was the one that was usually forgotten, but more often than not, that was the usual feeling that accompanied me.

Countless times had I revisited Mulciber's attack, questioning _why_ it had to have happened to_ me_. What was it about me that me that had made Mulciber come after _me_? What was I lacking that made me so vulnerable to Mulciber?

What did I need to change about myself?

The sleepless nights didn't help resolve that raging conflict in my mind.

_Third Year: October 19__th__, 1973_

_Potions Class_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"Sirius Orion Black, just _tell _me!" I hissed as I added some leech juice to my Shrinking Solution.

Sirius, who was sitting with James, Remus, and Peter in the table next to me, Dorcas, Marlene, and Mary, merely rolled his eyes. In a haughty voice, he demanded, "_Why_ do you care, Jen? It was nothing!"

"It was not 'nothing'! You four were acting very strange, right around when Snape was stupid enough to go down to the Whomping Willow," I said, feeling incredibly annoyed.

I didn't miss the look that the four of them exchanged, or the way that Remus coughed awkwardly, or the way that Peter seemed to look incredibly nervous.

But regardless of what may have happened, neither of them said anything. James looked keen to avoid my eyes, as he had not spoken a word to me all of class.

Out of anger, I accidentally dropped in two rat spleens, instead of one, into my Potion. The colour immediately changed to yellow, when it was supposed to be acid green. I cursed, "Merlin's fucking saggy left-"

"Jennifer!" Dorcas interrupted me, throwing me warning look.

I glanced towards where she was looking and could see Slughorn slinking around the room, lingering by Lily and Snivellus sitting in the front of the classroom.

"Look at this," I threw a frustrated look at James and Sirius, who didn't quite catch my eye.

Seeing as I was preoccupied with interrogating the boys, Dorcas leaned over and began adding all sorts of ingredients to my potion.

By the time that I gave up interrogating the boys, my Potion had turned into the correct colour.

I blinked once, twice, before turning to Dorcas with a huge and grateful grin. "Thanks, Doe!"

"Doe?" Marlene asked, puzzled. She looked up from her own Potion and gazed at me, puzzled.

Nodding, I replied, "Sure. You're Marls, Mary is Mares, Lily is Lils, I'm Jen, and so Dorcas is Doe. We all need nicknames."

James couldn't resist the urge to cut in, "Those are lame nicknames. It's too original."

I threw James a filthy look. "Just because _you_ have nicknames that don't make any bloody sense doesn't mean our original nicknames lame."

"What'd you mean it doesn't make sense?" Sirius cried in protest, throwing in a rat spleen into his Potion without glancing at it. His potion immediately turned the right colour.

At times, I detested how he could not even try in class and completely ace his exams.

"Padfoot? You're not exactly padded on your foot, Sirius. Nor can I figure out what Prongs means. And Remus I didn't think you were a moon lover. Not to mention Wormtail just doesn't make any sense, seeing as Peter doesn't _have_ a tail," I rolled my eyes as I added the last bits of my sliced caterpillars into my Potion.

The boys broke into snickers, giving each other approving smiles while guffawing like no tomorrow.

Pursing my lips at them, I huffed and turned my back to them. Why did I bother with talking to them at all?

"Are you done, Jen?" Mary asked, peering over at my Potion.

I nodded, glancing back towards my textbook. "Yeah, you're supposed to let it shimmer before it can be drunk. I think it got it right though. It looks acid green enough."

"You did it so fast!" Marlene commented with a bit of a whine in her voice. "I hate Potions. Why would we ever need to use Potions anyways?"

"It's useful, Marls! What if you accidentally get poisoned one day?" Dorcas asked, having finished her own Shrinking Solution as well.

Marlene didn't answer but I just grinned at her. "Don't let Lily hear you say that you hate Potions. You know that she loves Potions."

"I thought Evans liked Charms," James interjected from behind me.

I ignored him. Lately, he had been asking a ridiculous amount of questions about Lily. If I didn't know any better, then I would have suspected that James fancied her.

But seeing as it seemed impossible that James would fancy anyone with a penchant for not breaking rules, there was obviously another reason.

He had been bugging her a lot, however. Frequently, Lily was in a horrendous mood because James seemed to be stuck to her side (at times) like a wood lice to a bowtruckle.

I didn't blame her when she would start ranting about how James was a pain in the arse. This newfound interest for Lily baffled all of us alike.

This was another matter that was recently irking me.

The first matter was, of course, why the boys had a row a month ago.

I wouldn't have cared so much because after Mary's good advice of telling me not to meddle in things that were not to be meddled with, I made a conscious effort to stay out of other people's business.

The problem was that I had received an owl from Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William, asking me whether something had happened at Hogwarts because James had written home in a foul mood and was going on about loyalty and trust.

It was unsettling to hear that James had been angry about something like loyalty and trust because it really would only matter if it involved Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

Andromeda, incidentally, had also owled me.

Imagine my complete bemusement when a second owl came, in the span of less than a few days, asking me whether something was up at Hogwarts because Sirius had written to _her_, asking her if he was a horrible person.

Andromeda owling me was unusual. Though we had been friendly back in my first year and her seventh, we weren't exactly close acquaintances.

She also wasn't in contact with her family either.

After having received her inheritance for turning of age and graduating from Hogwarts, Andromeda had apparently broken the news of her relationship with Ted Tonks to her family.

James had mentioned very briefly last year that Bellatrix and Narcissa were now refusing to acknowledge Andromeda was ever their sister.

Andromeda's first letter to me had been to inform me of what happened, naturally, since I had been in on the secret that she was dating Ted Tonks.

This second letter was almost out of character. Usually the only times when I would hear of Andromeda was when James or Sirius would casually mention something.

I didn't think either of the boys had any clue that I had been owled, and it was baffling to think that I was now the source of knowledge because none of the boys would provide adequate answers to adults.

To write back to my aunt and uncle _and_ to Andromeda that I knew absolutely nothing about what happened was an uncomfortable notion.

James had reverted back to normal after he, Remus, Peter, and Sirius had made up after their fight. Sirius seemed to be the same, though he seemed slightly more keen in the beginning few weeks to avoid Snivellus.

I wasn't worried about James as much as Andromeda's letter had plagued me.

Not only could I _not_ imagine Sirius voicing his insecurities, but I also couldn't imagine why on Earth would Sirius believe that he wasn't a good person.

Though Lily thought James and Sirius to be rude and unkind imbeciles, _I_ knew it wasn't true.

There were times when I felt guilty for not knowing Remus and Peter as well as I knew Sirius, but truthfully, the only reason why I was that friendly with Sirius is because he and James are attached by the hips.

However, as the time grew on, the initial proclamation that James and Sirius could pass for twins had actually opened my eyes to the notable differences between the two boys, and that was when I started noticing Sirius's small behavioural details

Every time Sirius passed by a Slytherin, his face is set into the same angry scowl. Every time Sirius received an owl or a Howler from home, his face is set into the same foul expression. Every time Sirius heard the word _Mudblood_, his face is set into the same dangerous fury.

James, Remus, and Peter must had already known, but I wasn't quite sure that the rest of the school did.

What the four of us knew that no one else bothered to realize was that beneath the surface of the arrogant, haughty, and smart troublemaker was a complicated boy who, despite his home surroundings and other public pressure, struggled to be a _good_ person.

There were some like Lily and Dorcas, who I believe to be inherently kind, though not without their faults.

There were some like Voldemort who _was_ inherently evil with nothing good about him.

Yet there were those caught in the middle, the ones who had darkness constantly plaguing them. They were the ones that go through an internal struggle unbeknownst to us on the outside.

I didn't like to think that I had Sirius figured out, nor did I like to make judgments about Sirius.

But what I believed I knew to be true was that Sirius was the sort of person that was born into the influential darkness but managed, in the most brave and heroic way, to find the light, the justice, and the _good_ inside of him.

The knowledge that Sirius was doubting himself made me feel upset for reasons I didn't quite want to voice.

Lily thought I was wasting my time trying to figure out what was wrong, but I didn't think I was.

James, Remus, and Peter were more than capable of protecting Sirius (not that I'd ever let him know that I thought he needed _protection_), but as I discreetly snuck at look at him as all of us trooped out of Potions at the end of class, I couldn't help but worry.

Worry that, despite of being surrounded by the most wonderful friends, Sirius would feel lonely.

_Third Year: December 1__st__, 1973_

_The grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Dorcas Meadowes**

The cold air tickled my nose as I swiftly made my way to the location that we usually held our Care of Magical Creatures class with Professor Kettleburn.

It was Saturday and everyone was up in the Common Room, celebrating our latest Quidditch victory against Ravenclaw.

The game was fairly unexciting, seeing as Ravenclaw's Quidditch team was lacking severely after several of their players graduated last year.

Surprisingly, Sirius wasn't playing, and he avoided Jennifer's curious questions by asking her why she wouldn't try out for the position of a Seeker.

Our current Seeker was horrible, and it was really only because of Wayne Robinette's fantastic Keeping skills and our Chasers' great team work that we won games. Our beaters weren't great, seeing as Sirius's partner usually left Sirius to do all the work.

Without Sirius on the pitch, our team seemed even more lacklustre, and we were only lucky that Ravenclaw weren't great themselves.

Either way, winning was winning, and there was a celebration in the Common Room that I would have dearly loved to participate in.

As I reached the small open field behind Hagrid's Hut, a lone figure, bundled up in his winter cloak, was already there.

"I hope you appreciate what I'm doing for you," I immediately said with a heavy scowl.

Jacob Robinette snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a Gryffindor as well. _I _should be the one up there, congratulating my brother on his fantastic game."

"Then we should just postpone this meeting and go celebrate," I muttered bad temperedly.

Jacob ignored this jib and went on. "Emmeline's been avoiding me. I've been trying to talk to her but it's not done me any good."

"Well, I _told _you. She has no good reason to want to talk to you, so I don't get why you're so determined to talk to her," I rolled my eyes. He was fighting a losing battle. "Besides, you two still have two years to go till you worry about it. Has Dumbledore even come up to your brother yet?"

Jacob shook his head. "Not yet. But I checked with Greg Whitaker and he hasn't heard anything from Dumbledore either."

I nodded, satisfied with this piece of information. Gregory Whitaker, Alice's older brother, was a definitely someone that Dumbledore would have kept his eye on.

"Well there you go. Greg hasn't heard, your brother hasn't heard, so I'm not sure why you're so desperate to try to tell Emmeline that a job in the Ministry isn't a good idea. She only interned there. It's not like she's _definitely_ going to work there. Besides, Edgar Bones works for the Ministry, doesn't he?" I pointed out, feeling colder and colder standing outside.

"Yes, but that's Edgar. He knows how to take care of himself. You _did_ hear that he told his sister Amelia not to get a job there? She's been working underground because their family is so worried."

I felt unnerved by this, but couldn't see how that applied to Emmeline.

"The Bones are an old family, and Voldemort isn't happy that they turned to our side," I tried arguing. Shivers were running up and down my spine and it wasn't only because of the cold.

Jacob sighed. "I wish you wouldn't say his name. No one says his name now."

"_We_ do," I told him petulantly. "My family does, Dumbledore does, and so does the Potters and McKinnons!"

"Yes but that's _them_. They're all adults. You, Marlene, Jennifer, and James shouldn't be throwing his name around casually," Jacob warned, glancing around him almost nervously.

I looked around too, but shrugged. "You're only going to be more afraid of him if you don't say his name."

"Yeah well, wait till you're out in the field and try saying his name then," Jacob said with slight derision.

"You keep talking to me like this and I'm going to stop bothering with you. I've already told you a million times that I don't see why you're so worried about Emmeline. They're an old family too and she can take care of herself. Besides, isn't Greg thinking of becoming an Auror?"

Jacob wasn't convinced by my argument and said, "But Moody's the head of the Auror Office. You can't get more anti-You-Know-Who than Moody. And it matters because her family isn't part of the Order! She needs to know that the Ministry is unreliable! You know how they covered up that attack on the Dowell family."

"Emmeline's isn't stupid," I sighed. "She _knows_ that the Ministry didn't say a word about what happened to the Dowell family, and frankly, we're not supposed to know about the Order. We're only endangering more lives by having this conversation. My parents and siblings swore me to secrecy when we accidentally found out last summer after I came back from the Potters."

It took Jacob a moment to process my words, and I could see that he had gotten my point as he sighed and ran his hands through his blonde hair.

"Alright _fine_," Jacob grumbled.

I sighed with relief, happy that Jacob had accepted my logic that it _wasn't_ a good idea to go risking the knowledge of the Order of the Phoenix and happy that I could finally go back inside to the warmth.

"We better not have this conversation again. I can't keep explaining to my friends why I'm spending so much time talking to you and Emmeline," I warned him. "Which reminds me, why didn't you ask her to Hogsmeade?!"

Jacob scowled at me as the two of us trudged our way back inside the castle. "She wouldn't have said yes anyways. Are you _sure_ that she said I was handsome?"

"Yes, and if you ask me again, I'm going to throttle you."

_Third Year: December 24__th__, 1973_

_The Potter Manor_

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"So you have any more news for us?" I asked in an almost conspiratorial whisper to Alex as James, Alex, and I situated ourselves in the far corner of the living room.

It had been ages since I last saw Alex and he only got even more handsome.

Our (distant) cousin didn't really look anything like us, except for the dark hair, but there was something about the twinkle in Alex's eyes that reminded me of James whenever James was off to do something mad, like land himself in a month's worth of detention.

It was Christmas Eve which meant relatives were flocking the Manor. Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle William were so lost in the crowd of relatives and close friends that I hadn't seen them in a good half an hour.

Alex slumped on the comfy armchair he was occupying and sighed. "It's not looking good. The Ministry is utterly useless. Leach has been trying to get things done but he's having pressure from all sides. Rumour has it that Abraxas Malfoy is part of a shady plot that's making him leave the post."

"What! You mean Lucius Malfoy's father," I double checked with horror.

"He's been in power for only three years but already the Ministry's in an uproar. So many Wizengamot members have walked out on their posts because they dislike him in power. When Leach resigns, it'll probably be Davis that takes over," Alex replied grimly.

"That'd be even worse, wouldn't it? Davis hates Muggleborns," James said, referring to the current Senior Undersecretary.

Our cousin nodded, glancing around quickly before saying quickly, "They're trying to get Millicent Bagnold into office because she's very capable. She's not easily influenced like Leach and the fact that Bagnold is pureblood makes it harder for people to argue. Dumbledore's trying-"

Alex stopped abruptly, his cheeks slowly growing red and his light green eyes wide.

He looked like he had said something he wasn't supposed to.

"Dumbledore what?" I asked with curiosity, gazing at him intently.

He wouldn't answer but James pressed the issue. "Come on, mate. What's Dumbledore doing?"

Alex shifted around uncomfortably under the strain of James's and my intense imploring looks. "You have to promise to keep this quiet. I can't say too much because it's dangerous, even here."

James and I exchanged looks. Almost self-consciously, I glanced around and gazed at the numerous family members and friends.

What could be so dangerous it couldn't be said _here_?

"Promise!" Alex insisted, looking more serious than I had ever seen him.

Hastily, James and I nodded, swearing on James's Invisibility Cloak that we would not tell anyone.

"Dumbledore's been doing some heavy recruiting to try to get people to start working together to basically protect the Muggleborns and anyone who isn't sympathetic to Voldemort. It's all _very_ secret and I can't say any more than that but Dumbledore's been working overtime now," Alex said in a hushed tone, my ears straining to hear what he was saying.

Truthfully, it sounded exactly like something that Dumbledore would do. It's always been said that Dumbledore's the only one that Voldemort ever feared.

James chewed the bottom of his lips as he gazed at our cousin. Carefully, he asked, "Are you in it?"

To say that Alex was surprised by James's question was an understatement.

Immediately, he started spluttering and vehemently denying it. Alex sounded exactly like he did when James asked him during the Winter Holidays of our First Year whether he had gotten himself a girlfriend or not.

Which he did, funnily enough.

"Come on Alex," I whined. I _hated_ not knowing something. "It's _us_. You _know_ we hate this Pureblood Supremacy rubbish."

As if to prove my point, one of our uncles had suddenly slammed his hand down on the coffee table and started shouting inappropriate obscenities about Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Grumbling and looking rather furious with himself, Alex gave a quick, grudging nod before straightening himself up. "It's not official and I_ really_ can't tell you any more than that I'm helping Dumbledore out since my job at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is rather useful. I'm trying not to keep a low profile though, because it'd be much easier to get inside information if Davis didn't know that I'm dating a Muggleborn and all of that."

"Speaking of which, where's Jane? I miss her," I asked Alex, trying to change the subject so that we didn't dwell on this dangerous conversation. "I thought she'd be here."

"She's spending one last Christmas with her parents. They're relocating because it's getting far too dangerous. I wanted to go with her but because I think Davis is keeping track of my whereabouts, it wouldn't be a good idea so our friend Bryce is with her," Alex explained.

At the mention of Jane, Alex's face immediately became even more worried.

I almost felt bad of reminding him of the dangers for Jane to be away from Alex, even though Jane was a brilliant Witch herself.

"She'll be around for New Year's then?" James asked hopefully.

Alex raised a curious eyebrow at him, as did I. "Something you're not telling me, James?" Alex teased. "I hope you haven't started fancying my girlfriend now."

James rolled his eyes and said, "Of course not. Jane's just brilliant. The things she says about the Muggle world..."

The mention of Muggles put an interesting thought into my head. "You're not about to go interrogate Jane on ways that you could find out more about Lily, are you?" I asked James, exasperated.

"Lily? Your friend Lily?" Alex asked me curiously.

I nodded, ignoring James's protests. "James has been taking such an interest to knowing more about Lily. I can't argue with Lily whenever she tells me that James has been annoying her so much."

"James Potter, I am surprised," Alex grinned at James. "Fancying Jennifer's friend? I thought you knew better than that!"

"_What?_" I said, horrified as I stared at James, spluttering and turning red. "I just thought you fancied annoying her!"

James rolled his eyes rather awfully and said, "I'm not that mad to annoy Evans just because I enjoy taking the mickey out of her."

"So you do fancy this Lily Evans!" Alex said triumphantly.

Groaning loudly, I planted my face into my hands. "That's not _possible_! You can't fancy my _friend_, James!"

James immediately shot back, "If you didn't think it was possible, why do you think it is now?"

"Because Alex says so," I told him, in a tone that told James clearly how obvious it was. "He's a bloke, you're a bloke, he's the only bloke aside from your mates that know you well enough to deduce accurate assumptions. So that means it's at least somewhat close to the truth."

James didn't answer, and I just sat there, my eyes growing wider and wider with the conclusion. Alex looked entirely far too amused.

"So... so... you- no. _No_. You can't! _What?!_" I gasped with shock when James didn't deny that he _didn't _fancy Lily. "HOW?!"

"Whaddaya mean, _how_?" James muttered, looking annoyed with himself.

I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of James actually fancying someone, much less _Lily_.

"She hates you! You hate her! You two don't get along!" I said, as if this explained everything, which it technically _should_.

Who in their right head would fancy someone that hated them?

James huffed. "I don't hate her, and we get along just fine."

"Sure you do. She just ignores you, yells at you, or hexes you every time she sees you. You definitely get along _fine_," I informed James sarcastically, putting my hands on my waist and giving him a no nonsense look.

Before James could interrupt, I said, "You are going to tell me _exactly_ how this happened. And don't you dare leave anything out! I can't let you fancy my friend without knowing whether you're just going to snog her and move on."

"I am _NOT_ just going to snog her and move on."

"Yeah because you can't get her to even consider snogging you."

"Shut up, Jennifer."

_Third Year: February 18__th__, 1973_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

**As Told By Lily Evans**

"Sev, we're not having this conversation again," I sighed, feeling tired all of a sudden, even though it was the middle of the day. "We're only going to argue again, and I hate arguing with you."

I turned away from Sev and began walking towards the library; the massive Potions essay assigned by Slughorn wasn't going to get itself done.

Turning away from my friend meant I had completely missed the self-satisfied look that Sev had when I said I hated arguing with him.

"Come on, Lily. I'm not saying that we have to talk about _that_ right now. I'm just saying that I really don't see why you hang around Macdonald. She's not-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as I turned around furiously.

"She's not what? She's not _pureblood_? Is that it?" My eyes turned into slits as I clenched my teeth tightly, upset that Severus really couldn't leave the topic alone. "What's wrong with her not being a pureblood? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not either."

Sev immediately backtracked, looking almost sheepish. He said defiantly, "Well, I just mean that you're a lot better than Macdonald."

"I don't care. I'm not any better than Mary and I don't see why it's such a big deal who I hang around. I tell you that I hate Avery, Mulciber, and Selwyn but do you stop hanging around them? No," I argued back, turning around once again to continue my trek to the library.

Quick footsteps followed as Sev caught up to me. Panting, he said, "I just worry for you, Lily."

Despite being quite upset that Sev once again thought he could control how I live my life, his words softened me up.

I didn't think that Sev really understood me as well as I would have hoped he could have, but he _did _always have my best interests in his heart.

That wasn't something I could ignore.

"Thanks, Sev. I know you do, but I would really appreciate it if you could just not talk about Mary and Carol and all of the others like they're beneath me. No one is beneath anyone, and talking like that really makes me sick," I confessed to Sev honestly.

This time, I hoped he would listen.

He used to always listen to me, I reflected almost sadly.

My childhood friend shrugged, as if he didn't really believe that no one is beneath anyone. I hated the way that his logic was changing now.

"Sure, Lily but you have to admit that you belong amongst good company. Eliana, Marcella, and Chrysantha are actually really brilliant people once you get to know them."

"And like I told you," I repeated, with some flame in my tone. "I know them well enough, and I don't want to be around those three anymore than I have to. They're all horrible, Sev."

"Do you mean I'm horrible too?" Sev asked, sounding hurt. I turned to him in shock, and noticed the usual unreadable expression alight his face.

Being friends with him for so long, however, made me an expert at seeing behind that mask.

I could see how his already black eyes seemed darker than usual, and how his shoulders were tensed, as if he had received the worst news of his life.

I immediately shook my head. "You're not horrible. As much as Jen, Dorcas, Marlene, and Mary say so, they don't understand you like I do. You're _not_ horrible. I just wish you would stop hanging around the people who are because they're influencing you!"

His entire body relaxed and his eyes seemed to become less angry, less guarded.

At that moment, I felt almost guilty about how much of an impact my words had on Sev. He really _was_ misunderstood.

Really, Severus just needed someone to love him, _truly_.

In the same careless tone that he would use when brushing off a subject he didn't think was worthy to talk about, he said, "Don't worry about that. I honestly don't understand why you would think that being around my friends makes me bad company."

"Because you seem to think that performing Dark Arts is acceptable!" I told Severus heatedly, marching away from him and into the safe confines of the library.

I chose a table nearby the window and took out my textbook, quill, ink, and parchment. As soon as I was ready, I immediately set off to work, ignoring Severus who took a seat in front of me.

But even Potions couldn't distract me from the intense stare that I was receiving from my childhood friend.

Sighing heavily, I tossed my quill down and looked up. "What is it, Sev?" I asked wearily.

"Are you mad at me _again, _Lily?" he asked, emphasizing the 'again' as if I was always mad at him.

Was I really always mad at him? I didn't think so.

"I wish you wouldn't talk like that. You know that it is more than that. I just can't accept the Dark Arts in any shape, way, or form, and I hope you understand that," I said firmly, repeating the stance I had given him for the past three years.

"Even me?" Severus asked quietly. "You can't accept even me if I choose the Dark Arts?"

There was a moment of silence as I paused to _really_ look at him.

I stopped, not because I wasn't sure whether I could accept him, Dark Arts and all, but because I wasn't quite sure how on Earth my friend had turned to be like this.

Looking back, I would have realized that this was a pivotal moment between us, Lily and Severus.

Here was a question, so literal and yet so metaphorical in nature, that our entire friendship and relationship seemed to unconsciously balance on the line.

I wasn't sure anyone really understood what sort of friend Severus had been to me. Our friendship wasn't just a weed that had popped up in the middle of a beautiful garden.

Growing up, it had been me and Tuney.

My schoolmates liked to avoid me because odd things happened whenever I was around, a result of accidental magic.

But I really never needed them because I had my sister.

Tuney stood by my side, always defending me and complimenting me. Though I knew that she wished she could do what I could do, her admiration had never reached anything more than just admiration and pride that her sister could do something amazing.

That was until it changed all so suddenly.

Of course I would later realize that the brokered relationship between Tuney and I was because of Severus, his intense hatred for Muggles and Muggleborns, and his cruelty towards them, the people he hates.

At this moment in time, however, I didn't think that way. I held a different belief.

The belief that I had held then was that Severus had been there when Tuney hadn't been.

When Tuney couldn't accept me, Sev had instead, and was the light that guided the young and confused me into the Wizarding world.

It was almost symbolical; he was the one that brought me into the _real_ world, the world that I belonged in, and as hard as it was at times, I couldn't ignore that.

For the longest time, Severus had been my only friend and the only one that stood by my side, even in the very beginning of Hogwarts when the other girls and I weren't best friends yet.

I hated thinking that I had to choose to accept Sev because of the Dark Arts.

I couldn't ever accept the Dark Arts, and that wasn't going to change for anyone. But I _did_ keep that lingering hope in my heart that I could lead Sev back into the light, just like how he had led me once upon a time.

At that moment, if Sev had never shown the inclination that his path was in the Dark and not in the light, then perhaps _that_ would have been the moment that my feelings changed.

Changed in the way that I would later realize to be for better for Severus.

Maybe if the Dark Arts and the War had never been a factor and Sev had asked me whether I could accept him, and essentially accept _all_ of him, I would answer yes.

I would answer yes, and I would realize for myself how thin the line between friendship and romantic love was.

But that wasn't the case, and wishful thinking wasn't going to get me anywhere.

"No, I can't, Sev," I finally answered him, feeling an odd emptiness in my heart. _"But it's not too late." _

_Third Year: May 27__th__, 1973_

_Gryffindor Common Room _

**As Told By Jennifer Potter**

"I've never been more happy in my entire life than right now," Marlene announced loudly as she and Lily collapsed onto an armchair next to me.

The both of them had their last exam today for Divination. The rest of us had been lucky enough to have finished earlier.

"I told you taking Divination was a bad idea," Dorcas commented, glancing up from the today's Daily Prophet. "Are you going to drop it next year?"

Lily exhaled deeply, pouting. "I don't like giving up on a subject, and it'd be very nice to have an O.W.L. in Divination but I just might. Professor Vablatsky doesn't know what she is talking about. All she talks about the entire time is about her great aunt that wrote our bloody textbook."

"You do know Dumbledore was considering dropping the subject altogether," I told Lily as I set aside _Quidditch Through the Ages. _"According to James, Dumbledore doesn't have much of an opinion for Professor Vablatsky either."

"And how does he know?" Mary asked curiously, raising her eyebrows. "It doesn't seem like something any students should know."

I shrugged, casting my eyes quickly over Lily who held a distant expression.

I said, "The number of times James and Sirius ended up in Dumbledore's office probably had something to do with it. They get in enough trouble anyways."

Marlene, to my surprise, smiled. "You know what. Speaking of trouble, do you want to ask them to get us some food? I _know_ that they must have figured out where the kitchen was."

Dorcas snorted, shaking her head so her soft blonde curls fell in front of her face. "You would be thinking about food right now. You're mad, you know that. I saw you sneaking about ten slices of toast into your book bag earlier."

"Fast metabolism. Don't hate," Marlene grinned easily.

"Oh of course none of us would _dream_ of that," Lily teased back. "Who would want to get on your bad side?"

The conversation fell into a comfortable lull, and I felt my eyes sliding towards the fireplace, where a group of boys were gathered, laughing together and causing a ruckus in that side of the Common Room.

As I watched James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter for Merlin knows how long, I felt another eye on me.

"I can see the way you look at him, you know," a quiet voice suddenly said next to me.

I jumped, momentarily scared out of my wits and drew my wand, only to see Lily looking at me very bemused.

Red in the face, I stowed my wand away back into my robes and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Lils."

"Don't lie to me, Jennifer. I'm not stupid, you know," Lily sniffed, a small crease appearing in between her eyebrows. "I just don't understand _why_."

"Why what?" I asked, completely and utterly confused.

"That you fancy _Sirius Black_, of course!" Lily rolled her eyes at me, sounding like this statement was as obvious as knowing that broomsticks can fly.

Contrary to what Lily thought, I just gaped at her, shell-shocked and confused, as if someone had just told me that Quodpot was better than Quidditch.

"Why on _Earth_ would you think that?" I hissed, snapping out of my reverie. "And keep your voice down. I don't want other people getting the wrong idea."

Lily just gave me a look. "I've been having a feeling for the longest time. I wasn't always sure but now I'm almost positive. You _fancy_ Black. And I don't understand why."

I snorted, letting my eyes drift from Lily back towards Sirius, who was currently making fireworks with his wand.

Absentmindedly, I tilted my head and sighed. "You just don't understand him, that's all."

"Funny how I tell you that about Severus and you always disagree," Lily answered, slightly coldly. "But so you do admit you fancy Black."

I snapped my eyes back towards her and rolled my eyes. "I do not fancy Sirius."

"Then why are you always so concerned for his well-being? Back when Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew were arguing, you were literally trailing after Black like a lost puppy. Not that caring for others is bad, but I've never seen you so persistent," Lily accused. Her tone was challenging, daring me to argue back.

I quickly shot back, "That's because I care about him as a friend, as a _brother_."

"Then why aren't you as close to Lupin and Pettigrew?"

"Because unlike Remus and Peter, Sirius doesn't have everything sorted out," I said heatedly, wary that if I got louder, I would attract nearby attention.

Dorcas, Marlene, and Mary were too busy with this week's issue of Witch Weekly to notice Lily and I were arguing.

"Do explain."

Taking a long breath, I sighed. "Sirius is stuck in a hard place. His parents are constantly trying to get him to think that everyone who isn't a pureblood and everyone that is a 'Muggle sympathizer' are inferior to us. He constantly has Merlin knows how many Death Eaters visiting his house every day, and there are only two people in his huge family that actually care for his well-being. He's not just this troublemaking bloke who likes to pull pranks to have a laugh. That's his escape for the harsh realities of his world outside of Hogwarts and outside of James, Remus, and Peter. Lily, you _do_ misunderstand Sirius, just like how you misunderstand James."

Lily pursed her lips. "We're not even going to _begin_ discussing Potter."

"Then you agree I'm right!" I insisted. "You agree, then, that you do misunderstand Sirius."

"I'm not making a judgment about Black's character, Jen. All I wanted to know had already been answered by your spiel," Lily told me in a very matter-of-fact way.

"Which is…?"

"Which is that you, regardless of whether you know it or are denying it… _you_ fancy Sirius _bloody_ Black."


End file.
